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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  11. Have you settled on a ________________?
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. date — the fruit
  2. march — the month
  3. bound — certain
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. drill — army training
  6. march — the month
  7. swing — music
  8. last — finally
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. last — final
  13. drill — the tool
  14. swing — to play on
  15. drill — a practice
  16. march — music
  17. swing — in golf
  18. last — to go on
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. bound — tied together
  24. bound — obliged

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