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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.

Make a worksheet

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: pit · spell · rest · trunk · date · scale · march · mark

  1. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. Have you settled on a ________________?
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. date — the fruit
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. march — music
  5. rest — what's left
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. pit — a hole
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. march — the month
  10. rest — what's left
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. mark — a grade
  14. scale — size or range
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. spell — a short time
  19. rest — a break
  20. mark — a trace
  21. spell — letters
  22. spell — magic
  23. pit — in a race
  24. march — the month

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