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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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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: deal · key · mark · date · march · stand · bound · track

  1. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. Have you settled on a ________________?
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. key — in music
  3. bound — obliged
  4. mark — a trace
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. key — for a lock
  7. track — a song
  8. bound — certain
  9. stand — to bear
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. march — the month
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. track — to keep track
  14. track — a path
  15. mark — a grade
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. date — the fruit
  18. bound — tied together
  19. key — the most important part
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. deal — to handle
  22. march — the month
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. march — music

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