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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. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. Have you settled on a ________________?
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. date — the fruit
  2. track — a path
  3. saw — the tool
  4. track — a song
  5. march — the month
  6. rock — a stone
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. foot — a measure
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. march — the month
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. saw — the tool
  15. mark — a trace
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. pass — a permit
  18. mark — a grade
  19. rock — music
  20. march — music
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. track — to keep track

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