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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: stick · snap · club · fan · ground · racket · pound · wake

  1. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. club — for golf
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. snap — to click
  10. ground — the earth
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. ground — a position
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. club — a group
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. pound — a weight
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. club — for dancing
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. ground — crushed

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