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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 116 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: leaves · march · wake · bank · bat · racket · can · mark

  1. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. march — music
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. bat — the animal
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. bank — for money
  7. mark — a trace
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. bank — of a river
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. mark — a grade
  15. wake — a trail
  16. can — a tin
  17. march — the month
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. bat — in an idiom
  20. march — the month
  21. can — a tin
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. can — to be able to
  24. bank — for money

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