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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. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. Have you settled on a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. fall — the season
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. track — to keep track
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. file — a tool
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. pass — a permit
  10. bark — to shout
  11. season — in sport
  12. file — a line of people
  13. march — the month
  14. file — a document
  15. date — the fruit
  16. track — a path
  17. season — of the year
  18. fall — to drop
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. fall — to drop
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. track — a song
  23. march — music
  24. date — on the calendar

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