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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: pop · saw · ruler · march · mark · track · wax · spell

  1. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. track — a path
  4. spell — magic
  5. pop — music
  6. pop — to visit
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. march — music
  9. track — to keep track
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. track — a song
  12. mark — a grade
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. saw — the tool
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. march — the month
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. pop — soda
  19. march — the month
  20. wax — to grow
  21. spell — letters
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. mark — a trace
  24. spell — a short time

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