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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: file · object · track · club · charge · cue · stock · bat

  1. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. object — a thing
  3. bat — the animal
  4. track — to keep track
  5. club — a group
  6. club — for golf
  7. object — an aim
  8. cue — a hint
  9. file — a tool
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. charge — in control
  12. track — a path
  13. bat — in an idiom
  14. file — a document
  15. cue — a signal
  16. object — to protest
  17. track — a song
  18. charge — a price
  19. stock — shares
  20. stock — goods
  21. club — for dancing
  22. cue — for pool
  23. file — a line of people
  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