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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. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. Have you settled on a ________________?
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  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. track — a song
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. date — the fruit
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. track — to keep track
  9. march — music
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. track — a path
  12. stand — to bear
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. craft — a skill
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. craft — boats
  17. fork — in a road
  18. march — the month
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. wake — a trail
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. fork — a garden tool
  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