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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: root · stand · racket · wax · drill · track · lean · firm

  1. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. stand — to bear
  7. wax — to grow
  8. track — a song
  9. track — a path
  10. lean — to bend
  11. track — to keep track
  12. root — of a word
  13. drill — the tool
  14. firm — decided
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. root — the cause
  17. drill — army training
  18. drill — a practice
  19. root — of a plant
  20. firm — a company
  21. lean — thin
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. firm — steady
  24. stand — for spectators

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