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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: wax · band · bat · track · march · charge · stand · board

  1. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. march — the month
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. stand — to bear
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. track — to keep track
  8. track — a path
  9. march — music
  10. band — a music group
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. track — a song
  15. board — a committee
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. march — the month
  18. bat — the animal
  19. charge — electricity
  20. board — to get on
  21. band — a ring
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. wax — to grow
  24. charge — a price

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