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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: tube · wax · game · rock · drill · mark · rash · track

  1. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. mark — a trace
  3. game — wild animals
  4. rash — a series
  5. mark — a grade
  6. tube — a container
  7. tube — the underground
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. drill — a practice
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. rock — a stone
  12. drill — the tool
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. track — a song
  15. rash — hasty
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. wax — to grow
  18. rock — music
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. game — a match
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. track — a path
  24. drill — army training

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