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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: row · date · kick · scale · file · rest · pitch · bowl

  1. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  7. Have you settled on a ________________?
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. rest — what's left
  3. kick — in football
  4. file — a tool
  5. file — a document
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. pitch — completely
  9. file — a line of people
  10. rest — what's left
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. scale — size or range
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. row — to paddle
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. rest — a break
  22. scale — in music
  23. date — the fruit
  24. row — a line

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