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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: clip · jam · leaves · perch · track · bay · date · rush

  1. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. Have you settled on a ________________?
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  22. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  23. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. track — a path
  5. rush — hurry
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. clip — to cut
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. clip — a video
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. track — to keep track
  21. clip — for paper
  22. date — the fruit
  23. jam — a tight spot
  24. perch — the fish

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