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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 · mate · club · band · dip · mark · bat · foot

  1. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. club — for golf
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. foot — a measure
  7. mate — to breed
  8. mate — a partner
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. dip — to sink
  11. row — to paddle
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. bat — the animal
  15. mark — a trace
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. bat — in an idiom
  18. club — for dancing
  19. band — a music group
  20. mate — a friend
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. mark — a grade
  23. band — a ring
  24. club — a group

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