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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 · rush · date · club · craft · saw · bank · march

  1. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  17. Have you settled on a ________________?
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. rush — hurry
  3. date — the fruit
  4. club — for golf
  5. craft — a skill
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. club — a group
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. craft — boats
  10. club — for dancing
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. pass — a permit
  14. march — the month
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. bank — for money
  19. saw — the tool
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. march — the month
  22. saw — the tool
  23. bank — for money
  24. bank — of a river

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