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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: wax · ground · pitcher · rule · lean · net · pound · can

  1. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. ground — crushed
  4. rule — a law
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. lean — to bend
  8. pound — a weight
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. ground — the earth
  12. can — a tin
  13. net — in sport
  14. can — a tin
  15. ground — a position
  16. rule — government
  17. net — for catching
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. lean — thin
  20. net — after costs
  21. can — to be able to
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. wax — in the ear

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