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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: racket · net · band · wound · charge · wax · bay · pound

  1. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. wax — to grow
  5. net — in sport
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. band — a ring
  8. charge — a price
  9. charge — electricity
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. pound — a weight
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. charge — in control
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. net — after costs
  18. wound — an injury
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. wound — an injury
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. band — a music group
  24. bay — a horse colour

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com