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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: date · cabinet · track · scale · drill · pass · chest · bear

  1. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  6. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  7. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  14. Have you settled on a ________________?
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. date — the fruit
  7. chest — of your body
  8. drill — a practice
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. track — to keep track
  11. drill — the tool
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. chest — of your body
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. bear — the animal
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. track — a song
  19. chest — a box
  20. drill — army training
  21. scale — in music
  22. bear — the animal
  23. scale — size or range
  24. pass — a permit

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