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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: club · file · track · tube · stem · shower · staff · racket

  1. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. club — a group
  3. staff — employees
  4. track — a path
  5. shower — rain
  6. file — a tool
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. club — for golf
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. staff — a stick
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. shower — to wash
  13. tube — a container
  14. tube — the underground
  15. file — a document
  16. stem — to come from
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. staff — employees
  21. track — to keep track
  22. club — for dancing
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. file — a line of people

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