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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: nail · rush · game · pound · club · wake · pitcher · pop

  1. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. club — a group
  8. club — for golf
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. pop — soda
  13. pop — music
  14. game — a match
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. club — for dancing
  18. wake — a trail
  19. pop — to visit
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. game — wild animals
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. rush — hurry
  24. pound — a weight

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