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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: track · shower · stem · stand · wax · file · sharp · pit

  1. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. pit — in a race
  5. track — a path
  6. file — a document
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. track — a song
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. file — a line of people
  11. stem — to come from
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. pit — a hole
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. shower — to wash
  18. stand — to bear
  19. sharp — clever
  20. track — to keep track
  21. wax — to grow
  22. shower — rain
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. sharp — with an edge

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