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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: wind · deal · bay · stock · club · present

  1. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. stock — goods
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. wind — moving air
  6. deal — to handle
  7. wind — moving air
  8. club — for golf
  9. wind — to turn a key
  10. present — a gift
  11. club — a group
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. stock — shares
  16. club — for dancing
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. present — the time now

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