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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: bay · dip · wave · scale · club · row · date · race

  1. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. Have you settled on a ________________?
  5. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. club — for golf
  3. race — the arms race
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. date — the fruit
  6. row — a line
  7. race — a contest
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. race — humankind
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. scale — size or range
  16. club — for dancing
  17. scale — in music
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. club — a group
  23. dip — to sink
  24. scale — for weighing

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