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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.

Make a worksheet

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
468
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: key · march · jam · track · perch · calf · date · rule

  1. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  16. Have you settled on a ________________?
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. key — for a lock
  3. track — to keep track
  4. key — in music
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. track — a path
  7. march — music
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. perch — the fish
  10. date — the fruit
  11. track — a song
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. key — the most important part
  14. rule — government
  15. jam — in traffic
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. march — the month
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. date — on the calendar
  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