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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: tear · club · wind · rock · dip · stick · board · net

  1. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. club — for golf
  4. net — after costs
  5. net — in sport
  6. club — for dancing
  7. tear — from crying
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. board — a committee
  11. board — to get on
  12. rock — music
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. club — a group
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. net — for catching
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. tear — to rip
  19. rock — a stone
  20. tear — from crying
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. wind — moving air
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. dip — to sink

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