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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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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: band · saw · wake · bowl · club · row · craft · calf

  1. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. saw — the tool
  3. club — for dancing
  4. club — for golf
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. craft — boats
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. band — a ring
  15. band — a music group
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. row — a line
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. saw — the tool
  21. craft — a skill
  22. club — a group
  23. row — to paddle
  24. bowl — to roll

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