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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: track · board · wax · racket · dip · stand · band · branch

  1. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. wax — to grow
  7. dip — to sink
  8. band — a music group
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. track — a song
  11. track — to keep track
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. stand — to bear
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. track — a path
  17. branch — a division
  18. band — a ring
  19. board — to get on
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. branch — of a bank

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