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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.

Words on the sheet
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: stand · tube · ball · race · club · file · rock · pitcher

  1. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. club — for dancing
  4. stand — to bear
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. race — a contest
  8. race — humankind
  9. rock — music
  10. file — a tool
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. club — for golf
  14. rock — a stone
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. file — a document
  17. race — the arms race
  18. file — a line of people
  19. tube — the underground
  20. ball — a dance
  21. ball — a great time
  22. club — a group
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. tube — a container

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