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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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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: row · rock · club · deal · wind · suit · track · bark

  1. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. wind — moving air
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. club — for golf
  5. suit — clothes
  6. suit — to fit
  7. wind — to turn a key
  8. track — a path
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. club — for dancing
  11. wind — moving air
  12. rock — a stone
  13. row — to paddle
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. row — a line
  16. track — to keep track
  17. club — a group
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. track — a song
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. bark — to shout
  22. rock — music
  23. deal — to handle
  24. suit — in cards

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