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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: row · foot · mug · object · mate · race · date · march

  1. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. Have you settled on a ________________?
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. race — the arms race
  3. object — an aim
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. race — a contest
  6. march — the month
  7. mug — a face
  8. mate — a partner
  9. row — a line
  10. march — the month
  11. row — to paddle
  12. object — to protest
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. mug — a cup
  15. mate — a friend
  16. march — music
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. object — a thing
  20. date — the fruit
  21. mate — to breed
  22. race — humankind
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. foot — a measure

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