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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: fan · file · mark · date · race · pit · row · bay

  1. Have you settled on a ________________?
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  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. date — on the calendar
  2. race — humankind
  3. file — a line of people
  4. file — a document
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. mark — a grade
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. row — to paddle
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. pit — in a race
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. race — a contest
  15. mark — a trace
  16. row — a line
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. file — a tool
  19. pit — a hole
  20. race — the arms race
  21. date — the fruit
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  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