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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: tube · track · staff · pass · fine · date · swing · bay

  1. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. Have you settled on a ________________?
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. swing — to play on
  3. fine — all right
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. track — a path
  6. track — to keep track
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. staff — a stick
  9. pass — a permit
  10. staff — employees
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. swing — in golf
  13. tube — a container
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. tube — the underground
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. swing — music
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. track — a song
  22. fine — high quality
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. date — the fruit

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