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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: bank · court · stand · march · wax · rock · mine · season

  1. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. season — of the year
  3. march — the month
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. rock — a stone
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. march — the month
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. bank — for money
  10. court — of law
  11. bank — of a river
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. mine — for digging
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. wax — to grow
  19. bank — for money
  20. court — of a king
  21. stand — to bear
  22. court — for sport
  23. rock — music
  24. season — in sport

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