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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: roll · club · fine · suit · ruler · deal · wind · row

  1. We're on a ________________ here.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — on a roll
  2. fine — high quality
  3. wind — moving air
  4. roll — a cake
  5. fine — all right
  6. suit — to fit
  7. suit — clothes
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. row — a line
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. roll — a list
  15. row — to paddle
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. club — for golf
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. club — a group
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. club — for dancing
  22. suit — in cards
  23. wind — moving air
  24. deal — to handle

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