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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: bound · ruler · date · racket · march · wax · bank · rest

  1. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. Have you settled on a ________________?
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. march — the month
  5. bound — obliged
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. rest — what's left
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. rest — what's left
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. bank — of a river
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. rest — a break
  15. bank — for money
  16. bound — certain
  17. bank — for money
  18. wax — to grow
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. date — the fruit
  21. march — the month
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. bound — tied together

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