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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · fine · pass · jam · degree · board · chip · march

  1. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  8. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. Have you settled on a ________________?
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  22. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. fine — all right
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. march — music
  5. degree — an amount
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. jam — a tight spot
  8. jam — in traffic
  9. degree — from a university
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. chip — to eat
  12. chip — for betting
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. march — the month
  16. pass — a permit
  17. board — a committee
  18. fine — high quality
  19. degree — temperature
  20. board — to get on
  21. jam — to spread on bread
  22. date — the fruit
  23. march — the month
  24. date — on the calendar

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