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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: mine · foot · club · mate · date · pound · wax · sharp

  1. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. Have you settled on a ________________?
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  12. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. pound — a weight
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. mine — for digging
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. club — for golf
  9. date — the fruit
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. pound — to hit hard
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. sharp — clever
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. foot — a measure
  16. wax — to grow
  17. mate — a partner
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. mate — to breed
  21. club — for dancing
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. mate — a friend

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