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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: season · march · date · stick · mark · present · cabinet · ruler

  1. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. Have you settled on a ________________?
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. season — of the year
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. present — there
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. march — the month
  11. present — a gift
  12. present — the time now
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. march — music
  16. date — the fruit
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. season — in sport
  21. mark — a grade
  22. march — the month
  23. mark — a trace
  24. ruler — for measuring

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