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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · nail · mate · date · object · pop · net · cell

  1. Have you settled on a ________________?
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  20. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. object — a thing
  3. mate — a partner
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. mate — a friend
  6. row — a line
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. pop — music
  9. mate — to breed
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. row — to paddle
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. net — for catching
  14. object — an aim
  15. net — in sport
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. net — after costs
  18. pop — to visit
  19. cell — in biology
  20. cell — a phone
  21. object — to protest
  22. pop — soda
  23. date — the fruit
  24. nail — for a hammer

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