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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: key · racket · stem · pitcher · club · track · mark · wake

  1. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. key — in music
  5. wake — a trail
  6. club — for dancing
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. mark — a grade
  9. club — for golf
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. mark — a trace
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. track — a path
  14. key — for a lock
  15. stem — to come from
  16. track — to keep track
  17. club — a group
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. key — the most important part
  24. track — a song

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