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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. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. mate — a friend
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. current — of water
  7. pass — a permit
  8. current — happening now
  9. mate — a partner
  10. mate — to breed
  11. last — final
  12. current — electric
  13. march — music
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. track — a song
  16. track — a path
  17. march — the month
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. last — finally
  20. perch — the fish
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. march — the month
  24. last — to go on

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