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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: key · net · deal · race · wave · club · fine · pound

  1. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. pound — a weight
  3. club — a group
  4. fine — high quality
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. net — for catching
  7. key — the most important part
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. key — in music
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. fine — all right
  13. race — the arms race
  14. net — after costs
  15. key — for a lock
  16. deal — to handle
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. race — a contest
  20. net — in sport
  21. race — humankind
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. club — for golf
  24. club — for dancing

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