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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: squash · ruler · mate · patient · track · march · key · date

  1. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. Have you settled on a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. date — the fruit
  3. squash — the sport
  4. key — in music
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. track — a path
  7. squash — to crush
  8. mate — a partner
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. mate — to breed
  11. key — the most important part
  12. key — for a lock
  13. track — to keep track
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. march — the month
  18. mate — a friend
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. march — the month
  22. march — music
  23. ruler — a monarch
  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