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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 116 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 · scale · bound · field · band · present · net · coach

  1. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. bound — tied together
  3. net — in sport
  4. bound — obliged
  5. present — there
  6. band — a ring
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. wax — to grow
  9. scale — size or range
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. field — a subject
  12. field — for sport
  13. bound — certain
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. field — farmland
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. net — after costs
  20. present — the time now
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. present — a gift
  23. band — a music group
  24. scale — in music

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