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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: jam · fan · march · branch · content · club · wax · trunk

  1. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. march — the month
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. branch — a division
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. content — the amount
  10. club — for golf
  11. wax — to grow
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. jam — in traffic
  15. march — music
  16. content — happy
  17. march — the month
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. jam — a tight spot
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. club — for dancing
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. club — a group

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