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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 116 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
468
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: leaves · file · club · season · ball · racket · clip · pound

  1. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. file — a line of people
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. file — a tool
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. ball — a dance
  7. pound — a weight
  8. clip — a video
  9. season — of the year
  10. ball — a great time
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. clip — for paper
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. season — in sport
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. club — for golf
  19. file — a document
  20. club — a group
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. club — for dancing
  24. clip — to cut

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