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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: club · leaves · net · wax · mark · march · race · fork

  1. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. net — after costs
  4. wax — to grow
  5. fork — in a road
  6. club — for dancing
  7. club — for golf
  8. net — in sport
  9. net — for catching
  10. race — humankind
  11. mark — a grade
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. march — the month
  14. race — the arms race
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. club — a group
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. mark — a trace
  23. race — a contest
  24. march — music

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