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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 120 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: field · firm · row · leaves · shower · arm · club · bay

  1. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. club — for dancing
  3. row — a line
  4. club — a group
  5. shower — rain
  6. firm — decided
  7. field — for sport
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. row — to paddle
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. field — farmland
  12. firm — steady
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. field — a subject
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. firm — a company
  22. shower — to wash
  23. club — for golf
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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