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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: sharp · cell · mug · file · track · clip · root · stand

  1. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  21. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. track — a path
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. clip — a video
  5. file — a document
  6. root — the cause
  7. sharp — clever
  8. file — a tool
  9. track — a song
  10. track — to keep track
  11. cell — in biology
  12. mug — a face
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. cell — a phone
  15. stand — to bear
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. mug — to rob
  19. mug — a cup
  20. clip — for paper
  21. clip — to cut
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. root — of a word
  24. root — of a plant

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