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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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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: club · kick · wave · staff · shower · pound · saw · racket

  1. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. club — for golf
  3. pound — a weight
  4. staff — a stick
  5. staff — employees
  6. saw — the tool
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. club — a group
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. staff — employees
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. shower — to wash
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. kick — in football
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. shower — rain
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. club — for dancing
  24. saw — the tool

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