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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.

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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 · band · pound · kick · perch · wake · firm · file

  1. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. band — a ring
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. file — a tool
  6. kick — in football
  7. file — a document
  8. wake — a trail
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. club — a group
  12. firm — decided
  13. pound — a weight
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. band — a music group
  17. firm — a company
  18. perch — the fish
  19. club — for golf
  20. firm — steady
  21. file — a line of people
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. club — for dancing
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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