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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: chair · race · present · rest · pitcher · date

  1. Have you settled on a ________________?
  2. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. date — the fruit
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. chair — a leader
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. present — the time now
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. race — the arms race
  9. rest — what's left
  10. race — humankind
  11. present — a gift
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. rest — a break
  14. rest — what's left
  15. present — there
  16. race — a contest
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. chair — a professorship

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