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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 120 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: staff · mark · mate · scale · root · fine · bark · march

  1. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. mate — a partner
  3. march — music
  4. staff — employees
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. march — the month
  8. mate — to breed
  9. mark — a trace
  10. staff — employees
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. march — the month
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. fine — all right
  15. fine — high quality
  16. bark — to shout
  17. staff — a stick
  18. root — of a word
  19. root — of a plant
  20. root — the cause
  21. scale — size or range
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. scale — in music
  24. mate — a friend

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