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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.

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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: track · pop · cap · march · leaves · club · date · temple

  1. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. Have you settled on a ________________?
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  22. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. cap — of ice
  4. track — a song
  5. march — the month
  6. pop — soda
  7. cap — a hat
  8. pop — to visit
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. march — music
  12. track — to keep track
  13. march — the month
  14. track — a path
  15. club — a group
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. club — for dancing
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. pop — music
  21. date — the fruit
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. cap — a lid
  24. leaves — lets stay

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