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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
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: scale · fork · march · date · lean · mate · track · ruler

  1. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. Have you settled on a ________________?
  6. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. track — a song
  4. march — the month
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. date — the fruit
  7. march — music
  8. track — a path
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. scale — in music
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. fork — in a road
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. lean — to bend
  15. mate — a partner
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. track — to keep track
  18. lean — thin
  19. scale — size or range
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. march — the month
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. mate — to breed

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