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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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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 · row · pitch · race · object · fall · temple · rock

  1. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. Have you settled on a ________________?
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. date — the fruit
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. object — an aim
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. fall — to drop
  12. rock — music
  13. object — a thing
  14. row — to paddle
  15. row — a line
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. fall — the season
  18. race — a contest
  19. rock — a stone
  20. race — humankind
  21. object — to protest
  22. pitch — completely
  23. race — the arms race
  24. fall — to drop

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