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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: present · track · pass · prune · mark · last · face · fork

  1. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. last — final
  4. track — a song
  5. present — the time now
  6. face — to confront
  7. track — a path
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. pass — a permit
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. fork — in a road
  12. present — there
  13. last — finally
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. present — a gift
  16. mark — a grade
  17. prune — to trim
  18. last — to go on
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. mark — a trace
  21. track — to keep track
  22. prune — to trim
  23. face — part of the head
  24. face — to point toward

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