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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 116 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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Word bank
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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: tear · club · present · row · board · track · fan · swing

  1. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. present — a gift
  3. swing — in golf
  4. club — for golf
  5. present — the time now
  6. swing — music
  7. swing — to play on
  8. tear — from crying
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. track — a song
  12. club — for dancing
  13. tear — to rip
  14. track — to keep track
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. club — a group
  17. row — to paddle
  18. row — a line
  19. board — a committee
  20. present — there
  21. tear — from crying
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. board — to get on
  24. track — a path

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