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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 120 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. club — for dancing
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. mate — to breed
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. row — to paddle
  7. club — for golf
  8. mate — a friend
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. bank — for money
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. cap — a hat
  15. stock — shares
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. cap — a lid
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. mate — a partner
  20. cap — of ice
  21. stock — goods
  22. bank — for money
  23. bank — of a river
  24. club — a group

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