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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: wake · bowl · wave · mate · can · pound · club · snap

  1. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. mate — a friend
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. club — a group
  6. mate — a partner
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. can — a tin
  9. wake — a trail
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. mate — to breed
  12. club — for golf
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. club — for dancing
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. can — a tin
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. snap — to click
  24. can — to be able to

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