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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: pop · pit · mate · march · game · stem · wax · track

  1. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. track — a path
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. march — the month
  5. march — the month
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. stem — to come from
  8. march — music
  9. pit — a hole
  10. game — wild animals
  11. pop — music
  12. pop — soda
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. game — a match
  15. wax — to grow
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. track — to keep track
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. mate — to breed
  21. mate — a friend
  22. pit — in a race
  23. pop — to visit
  24. mate — a partner

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