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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: roll · mark · wax · mine · suit · march · racket · band

  1. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. We're on a ________________ here.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  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. band — a rubber band
  2. march — the month
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. march — the month
  5. roll — a list
  6. suit — clothes
  7. roll — on a roll
  8. wax — to grow
  9. suit — to fit
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. mine — for digging
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. suit — in cards
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. band — a music group
  18. band — a ring
  19. mark — a grade
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. mark — a trace
  23. roll — a cake
  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