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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: bowl · club · hand · date · toast · hide · arm · row

  1. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. Have you settled on a ________________?
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.

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

Answer key

  1. date — the fruit
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. club — a group
  4. club — for golf
  5. hand — help
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. toast — the most admired
  9. toast — bread
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. hand — in cards
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. row — a line
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. club — for dancing
  23. row — to paddle
  24. toast — a drink to someone

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