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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: mark · wake · stand · march · scale · cap · wave · staff

  1. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  2. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. march — the month
  3. cap — of ice
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. staff — employees
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. cap — a hat
  9. staff — a stick
  10. cap — a lid
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. staff — employees
  13. mark — a trace
  14. mark — a grade
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. scale — in music
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. scale — size or range
  22. wake — a trail
  23. march — the month
  24. stand — to bear

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