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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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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: lash · track · court · stem · face · staff · season · club

  1. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. season — in sport
  3. season — of the year
  4. face — part of the head
  5. stem — to come from
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. track — to keep track
  9. court — for sport
  10. club — for dancing
  11. staff — employees
  12. club — a group
  13. face — to point toward
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. track — a path
  17. club — for golf
  18. face — to confront
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. track — a song
  21. court — of a king
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. staff — a stick
  24. court — of law

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