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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 116 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.

Words on the sheet
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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: season · fine · wave · saw · snap · club · pop · cue

  1. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  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. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. season — in sport
  3. pop — to visit
  4. season — of the year
  5. snap — to click
  6. saw — the tool
  7. saw — the tool
  8. fine — all right
  9. pop — soda
  10. cue — a hint
  11. pop — music
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. club — for dancing
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. club — a group
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. cue — for pool
  22. cue — a signal
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. fine — high quality

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