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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 116 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 · club · race · board · suit · bank · stock · rule

  1. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. bank — for money
  3. suit — in cards
  4. row — to paddle
  5. race — the arms race
  6. club — for dancing
  7. stock — goods
  8. stock — shares
  9. club — for golf
  10. row — a line
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. bank — of a river
  13. suit — clothes
  14. rule — government
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. board — to get on
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. club — a group
  19. rule — a law
  20. race — a contest
  21. suit — to fit
  22. bank — for money
  23. race — humankind
  24. row — a quarrel

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