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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 116 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
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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: row · rush · pit · game · race · last · key · fine

  1. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. race — the arms race
  4. game — a match
  5. key — in music
  6. last — finally
  7. key — for a lock
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. fine — high quality
  10. row — to paddle
  11. rush — hurry
  12. race — humankind
  13. pit — in a race
  14. fine — all right
  15. row — a line
  16. last — to go on
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. pit — a hole
  19. key — the most important part
  20. race — a contest
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. game — wild animals
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. last — final

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