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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: scale · land · tube · board · march · track · temple · wax

  1. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. board — to get on
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. land — to come down
  5. track — a path
  6. march — the month
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. tube — the underground
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. scale — in music
  11. land — a country
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. board — a committee
  14. wax — to grow
  15. land — ground
  16. march — the month
  17. scale — size or range
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. march — music
  22. track — to keep track
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. tube — a container

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