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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: band · pitch · wax · bay · march · root · degree · charge

  1. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. band — a music group
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. charge — electricity
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. wax — to grow
  7. degree — temperature
  8. degree — from a university
  9. degree — an amount
  10. pitch — completely
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. charge — a price
  13. march — the month
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. band — a ring
  16. root — the cause
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. march — the month
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. march — music
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. charge — in control
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. root — of a word

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