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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 · wax · jam · mark · bay · cap · drill · firm

  1. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a ring
  2. drill — army training
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. jam — to spread on bread
  5. drill — a practice
  6. jam — a tight spot
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. cap — a lid
  9. cap — a hat
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. jam — in traffic
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. firm — steady
  14. band — a music group
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. cap — of ice
  17. mark — a trace
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. firm — decided
  21. wax — to grow
  22. mark — a grade
  23. drill — the tool
  24. firm — a company

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