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

Word bank: row · firm · race · fall · club · dip

  1. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. row — a line
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. club — for dancing
  5. fall — to drop
  6. race — a contest
  7. firm — a company
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. fall — to drop
  10. dip — to sink
  11. firm — decided
  12. row — to paddle
  13. club — for golf
  14. race — the arms race
  15. firm — steady
  16. club — a group
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. race — humankind

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