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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 116 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: game · march · fine · rash · firm · row · club · wake

  1. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. march — the month
  5. game — wild animals
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. firm — a company
  8. row — to paddle
  9. rash — hasty
  10. march — music
  11. club — a group
  12. game — a match
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. march — the month
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. row — a line
  18. fine — high quality
  19. club — for dancing
  20. fine — all right
  21. firm — steady
  22. club — for golf
  23. wake — a trail
  24. firm — decided

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