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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: row · spell · ground · roll · mate · race · date · patient

  1. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. We're on a ________________ here.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. Have you settled on a ________________?
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a cake
  2. race — a contest
  3. row — a line
  4. mate — a partner
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. row — to paddle
  7. mate — a friend
  8. roll — on a roll
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. date — the fruit
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. race — humankind
  13. spell — letters
  14. spell — magic
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. race — the arms race
  19. ground — a position
  20. ground — the earth
  21. spell — a short time
  22. mate — to breed
  23. ground — crushed
  24. roll — a list

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