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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. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  3. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. Have you settled on a ________________?
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. date — the fruit
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. wound — an injury
  5. track — a song
  6. march — the month
  7. track — a path
  8. wound — an injury
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. spell — letters
  12. spell — a short time
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. march — music
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. track — to keep track
  19. spell — magic
  20. craft — boats
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. craft — a skill
  24. march — the month

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