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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: bay · toast · club · pound · stem · wind

  1. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  4. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. wind — moving air
  4. toast — bread
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. pound — a weight
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. toast — the most admired
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. wind — moving air
  13. club — for dancing
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. stem — to come from
  16. wind — to turn a key
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. club — for golf

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