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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: pitcher · board · can · stock · track · wax · bulb · march

  1. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. can — a tin
  3. march — the month
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. march — music
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. can — a tin
  10. wax — to grow
  11. march — the month
  12. track — to keep track
  13. can — to be able to
  14. bulb — for light
  15. bulb — for light
  16. board — a committee
  17. track — a song
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. track — a path
  20. stock — shares
  21. board — to get on
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. stock — goods
  24. pitcher — a jug

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