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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: bulb · row · mouse · pitch · face · mate · date · bowl

  1. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. Have you settled on a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. mate — to breed
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. row — to paddle
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. face — part of the head
  9. mate — a friend
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. row — a line
  13. bulb — for light
  14. date — the fruit
  15. pitch — completely
  16. bulb — for light
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. mate — a partner
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. face — to point toward
  23. face — to confront
  24. date — on the calendar

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