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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: sharp · pass · date · track · march · vault · pop · chip

  1. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. Have you settled on a ________________?
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. march — the month
  3. track — a song
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. chip — to eat
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. sharp — clever
  9. march — music
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. chip — for betting
  13. date — the fruit
  14. pop — music
  15. track — a path
  16. track — to keep track
  17. march — the month
  18. vault — a safe
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. pop — to visit
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. pass — a permit

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