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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: dip · mate · track · cap · bulb · saw · bark · date

  1. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. Have you settled on a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. dip — to sink
  3. mate — a partner
  4. bulb — for light
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. saw — the tool
  7. date — the fruit
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. track — a path
  11. cap — a hat
  12. cap — a lid
  13. saw — the tool
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. cap — of ice
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. mate — to breed
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. track — a song
  20. bulb — for light
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. mate — a friend
  23. bark — to shout
  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