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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: root · saw · racket · file · wound · track · pass · club

  1. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. saw — the tool
  3. file — a tool
  4. track — a path
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. root — the cause
  7. root — of a plant
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. track — to keep track
  10. file — a document
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. club — for dancing
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. file — a line of people
  17. club — a group
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. saw — the tool
  20. pass — a permit
  21. track — a song
  22. root — of a word
  23. wound — an injury
  24. club — for golf

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