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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 · bass · foot · wax · march · track · prune · can

  1. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. prune — to trim
  3. track — a path
  4. bass — low music
  5. march — the month
  6. can — to be able to
  7. stand — to bear
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. track — to keep track
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. march — the month
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. prune — to trim
  15. can — a tin
  16. can — a tin
  17. bass — the fish
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. march — music
  21. foot — a measure
  22. track — a song
  23. wax — to grow
  24. wax — in the ear

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