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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: pass · stem · date · mark · fork · swing · leaves · scale

  1. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. Have you settled on a ________________?
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. scale — size or range
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. scale — in music
  5. date — the fruit
  6. swing — in golf
  7. stem — to come from
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. fork — in a road
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. swing — music
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. mark — a trace
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. mark — a grade
  22. pass — a permit
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. swing — to play on

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