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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: club · wind · degree · mate · arm · mug · pass · row

  1. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. row — to paddle
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. mug — a face
  5. wind — moving air
  6. wind — moving air
  7. club — for golf
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. row — a line
  11. mug — a cup
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. degree — an amount
  15. degree — temperature
  16. mate — to breed
  17. mate — a partner
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. degree — from a university
  20. pass — a permit
  21. club — for dancing
  22. mate — a friend
  23. mug — to rob
  24. arm — a part of something

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