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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: prune · wax · track · bay · net · temple · march · mouse

  1. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. net — after costs
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. wax — to grow
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. net — for catching
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. march — the month
  15. track — a path
  16. net — in sport
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. prune — to trim
  19. march — the month
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. prune — to trim
  23. track — to keep track
  24. march — 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