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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: stand · branch · ground · bowl · pass · wax · track · bank

  1. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. track — a song
  3. wax — to grow
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. bank — for money
  7. track — to keep track
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. bank — for money
  10. ground — a position
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. ground — crushed
  16. bank — of a river
  17. branch — a division
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. pass — a permit
  21. track — a path
  22. stand — to bear
  23. ground — the earth
  24. pass — to succeed

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