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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 116 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: cabinet · mark · prune · racket · march · track · board · band

  1. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  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. mark — to pay attention
  2. march — music
  3. board — to get on
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. board — a committee
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. track — to keep track
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. march — the month
  10. band — a ring
  11. track — a path
  12. mark — a trace
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. mark — a grade
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. band — a music group
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. march — the month
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. prune — to trim
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. prune — to trim
  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