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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: date · toast · bay · mug · rock · scale · race · row

  1. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. Have you settled on a ________________?
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. toast — the most admired
  3. scale — size or range
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. toast — bread
  6. mug — a face
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. date — the fruit
  11. race — humankind
  12. scale — in music
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. mug — a cup
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. race — a contest
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. rock — music
  19. race — the arms race
  20. rock — a stone
  21. mug — to rob
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. row — a line
  24. scale — for weighing

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