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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: date · hide · race · ruler · field · object

  1. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. Have you settled on a ________________?
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. date — the fruit
  3. object — a thing
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. race — a contest
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. field — for sport
  9. field — a subject
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. object — an aim
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. race — humankind
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. field — farmland
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. object — to protest

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