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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. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. Have you settled on a ________________?
  3. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. saw — the tool
  6. cap — of ice
  7. file — a line of people
  8. file — a document
  9. march — music
  10. suit — clothes
  11. cap — a hat
  12. key — in music
  13. track — a song
  14. date — the fruit
  15. march — the month
  16. march — the month
  17. key — the most important part
  18. suit — to fit
  19. file — a tool
  20. saw — the tool
  21. suit — in cards
  22. track — to keep track
  23. track — a path
  24. cap — a lid

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