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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 120 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 · chair · club · foot · stem · bowl · ruler · band

  1. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. foot — a measure
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. band — a music group
  8. stem — to come from
  9. club — for golf
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. club — a group
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. row — to paddle
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. row — a line
  20. club — for dancing
  21. chair — a leader
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. band — a ring

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