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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: club · straw · track · pass · ruler · spring · fine · date

  1. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. Have you settled on a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. club — a group
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. fine — high quality
  5. track — to keep track
  6. club — for dancing
  7. track — a path
  8. spring — of water
  9. date — the fruit
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. track — a song
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. spring — the season
  16. pass — a permit
  17. fine — all right
  18. club — for golf
  19. spring — a coil
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. date — on the calendar

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