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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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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 · ruler · club · pit · track · lash · land · arm

  1. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. club — a group
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. file — a tool
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. pit — a hole
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. club — for dancing
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. pit — in a race
  11. land — ground
  12. track — a path
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. file — a line of people
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. track — to keep track
  18. file — a document
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. land — a country
  21. club — for golf
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. land — to come down
  24. ruler — a monarch

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