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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: saw · march · date · root · mate · fall · bay · ball

  1. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. Have you settled on a ________________?
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. saw — the tool
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. saw — the tool
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. mate — a partner
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. date — the fruit
  9. mate — a friend
  10. root — of a plant
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. march — music
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. fall — to drop
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. fall — the season
  18. march — the month
  19. fall — to drop
  20. root — of a word
  21. root — the cause
  22. mate — to breed
  23. march — the month
  24. ball — a great time

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