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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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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: foot · rock · can · ground · hand · wake · club · cue

  1. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. club — for dancing
  4. ground — the earth
  5. wake — a trail
  6. rock — music
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. cue — for pool
  9. hand — help
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. club — for golf
  12. can — a tin
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. cue — a hint
  15. rock — a stone
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. club — a group
  18. cue — a signal
  19. ground — a position
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. can — to be able to
  22. foot — a measure
  23. ground — crushed
  24. can — a tin

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