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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: bay · row · lean · firm · club · stock · clip · racket

  1. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. row — to paddle
  3. clip — to cut
  4. firm — steady
  5. club — a group
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. firm — decided
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. stock — goods
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. lean — thin
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. lean — to bend
  17. stock — shares
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. clip — for paper
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. row — a line
  22. club — for golf
  23. firm — a company
  24. clip — a video

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