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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: deal · firm · club · date · wave · wind

  1. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  9. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. Have you settled on a ________________?
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. deal — to handle
  3. firm — a company
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. firm — steady
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. club — for golf
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. date — the fruit
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. wind — moving air
  12. firm — decided
  13. club — a group
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. wind — to turn a key
  17. wind — moving air
  18. wave — with your hand

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