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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: lean · net · craft · row · bulb · date · fine · race

  1. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  13. Have you settled on a ________________?
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. lean — thin
  3. row — to paddle
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. race — humankind
  6. net — after costs
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. lean — to bend
  9. fine — high quality
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. net — for catching
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. craft — boats
  16. date — the fruit
  17. bulb — for light
  18. fine — all right
  19. race — a contest
  20. craft — a skill
  21. bulb — for light
  22. race — the arms race
  23. net — in sport
  24. row — a quarrel

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