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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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468
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 · row · club · racket · can · net · pass · wake

  1. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. club — for golf
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. wake — a trail
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. net — after costs
  8. row — to paddle
  9. net — in sport
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. can — a tin
  12. pound — a weight
  13. net — for catching
  14. club — a group
  15. club — for dancing
  16. can — to be able to
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. pass — a permit
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. row — a line
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. racket — for tennis

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