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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 120 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. tube — a container
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. stem — to come from
  6. key — in music
  7. wax — to grow
  8. track — a path
  9. key — the most important part
  10. track — to keep track
  11. tube — the underground
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. club — a group
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. track — a song
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. club — for dancing
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. key — for a lock
  24. tube — in a tire

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