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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: row · bound · degree · kick · stand · race · object · date

  1. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. Have you settled on a ________________?
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. row — to paddle
  3. object — an aim
  4. stand — to bear
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. bound — tied together
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. race — humankind
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. race — the arms race
  12. object — a thing
  13. degree — temperature
  14. degree — from a university
  15. date — the fruit
  16. row — a line
  17. bound — certain
  18. degree — an amount
  19. kick — in football
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. bound — obliged
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. object — to protest
  24. race — a contest

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