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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: branch · track · wax · mark · court · craft · straw · coach

  1. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. track — to keep track
  3. court — of a king
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. craft — boats
  6. track — a path
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. court — for sport
  11. mark — a grade
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. court — of law
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. craft — a skill
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. mark — a trace
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. branch — a division
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. wax — to grow

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