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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: pound · pop · wave · nail · net · rush · can · season

  1. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. pop — music
  4. net — for catching
  5. can — a tin
  6. rush — hurry
  7. can — to be able to
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. pop — to visit
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. net — in sport
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. pound — a weight
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. can — a tin
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. season — of the year
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. pop — soda
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. net — after costs
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. nail — for a hammer

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