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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: racket · march · race · firm · track · charge · wax · wave

  1. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. firm — steady
  3. march — music
  4. charge — electricity
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. track — a path
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. march — the month
  10. race — a contest
  11. charge — a price
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. race — the arms race
  14. march — the month
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. track — to keep track
  17. firm — decided
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. race — humankind
  20. firm — a company
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. charge — in control
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. track — a song

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