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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: prune · march · leaves · present · date · track · capital · staff

  1. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. Have you settled on a ________________?
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. march — the month
  5. capital — money
  6. track — a song
  7. staff — employees
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. march — the month
  10. capital — a city
  11. staff — a stick
  12. prune — to trim
  13. staff — employees
  14. present — there
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. present — a gift
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. march — music
  19. prune — to trim
  20. date — the fruit
  21. track — to keep track
  22. track — a path
  23. present — the time now
  24. capital — a big letter

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