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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: date · roll · mug · stand · file · march · clip · board

  1. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  3. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  6. We're on a ________________ here.
  7. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. Have you settled on a ________________?
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. clip — to cut
  3. roll — a list
  4. mug — to rob
  5. clip — for paper
  6. roll — on a roll
  7. clip — a video
  8. mug — a face
  9. mug — a cup
  10. march — music
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. board — a committee
  14. file — a line of people
  15. date — the fruit
  16. file — a document
  17. file — a tool
  18. stand — to bear
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. board — to get on
  22. march — the month
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. roll — a cake

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