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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: rest · wax · racket · mark · track · board · toast · march

  1. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. march — the month
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. rest — a break
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. board — a committee
  7. march — music
  8. mark — a grade
  9. toast — the most admired
  10. track — a song
  11. track — to keep track
  12. march — the month
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. toast — bread
  15. wax — to grow
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. board — to get on
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. track — a path
  22. rest — what's left
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. rest — what's left

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