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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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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: present · bass · club · row · mark · spell · tear · pit

  1. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. row — a line
  3. mark — a trace
  4. pit — a hole
  5. tear — to rip
  6. bass — the fish
  7. spell — letters
  8. spell — a short time
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. mark — a grade
  13. bass — low music
  14. present — a gift
  15. present — there
  16. tear — from crying
  17. pit — in a race
  18. row — to paddle
  19. tear — from crying
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. spell — magic
  22. club — for golf
  23. club — for dancing
  24. present — the time now

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