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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: ground · bowl · racket · suit · jam · date · race · row

  1. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  9. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. Have you settled on a ________________?
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. Would you like some apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. date — the fruit
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. ground — the earth
  4. race — humankind
  5. ground — crushed
  6. ground — a position
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. jam — in traffic
  10. suit — to fit
  11. row — to paddle
  12. suit — in cards
  13. suit — clothes
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. race — a contest
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. race — the arms race
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. row — a line
  24. jam — to spread on bread

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