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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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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: tube · bat · ball · club · file · stand · foot · stick

  1. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. club — a group
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. file — a document
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. club — for dancing
  7. stand — to bear
  8. tube — a container
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. file — a line of people
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. file — a tool
  14. ball — a dance
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. foot — a measure
  17. ball — a great time
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. club — for golf
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. bat — in an idiom
  22. bat — the animal
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. foot — the bottom

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