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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 120 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: last · mark · track · pitch · bank · bass · wax · rule

  1. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. last — final
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. track — to keep track
  7. mark — a grade
  8. wax — to grow
  9. rule — government
  10. bass — the fish
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. track — a path
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. bank — of a river
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. rule — a law
  17. bank — for money
  18. bank — for money
  19. last — to go on
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. last — finally
  22. track — a song
  23. pitch — completely
  24. bass — low music

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