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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: row · rock · club · deal · wind · suit

  1. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. wind — moving air
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. rock — music
  5. suit — clothes
  6. row — a line
  7. deal — to handle
  8. row — to paddle
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. wind — moving air
  11. rock — a stone
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. club — for dancing
  14. club — for golf
  15. suit — in cards
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. club — a group
  18. wind — to turn a key

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