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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: file · track · bass · mate · suit · season · march · calf

  1. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. file — a document
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. bass — the fish
  5. file — a line of people
  6. mate — a friend
  7. suit — in cards
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. march — the month
  10. track — to keep track
  11. season — in sport
  12. march — the month
  13. file — a tool
  14. season — of the year
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. track — a path
  17. mate — to breed
  18. track — a song
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. march — music
  21. suit — clothes
  22. mate — a partner
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. bass — low 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