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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: court · tube · charge · saw · key · track · stick · club

  1. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. track — a path
  3. court — for sport
  4. tube — the underground
  5. key — for a lock
  6. club — for dancing
  7. key — in music
  8. saw — the tool
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. club — for golf
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. track — a song
  13. court — of a king
  14. key — the most important part
  15. charge — a price
  16. court — of law
  17. saw — the tool
  18. club — a group
  19. tube — a container
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. charge — in control
  24. charge — electricity

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