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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.

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: track · date · file · racket · fan · staff · bowl · stem

  1. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  23. Have you settled on a ________________?
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. track — to keep track
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. file — a document
  8. track — a song
  9. track — a path
  10. staff — a stick
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. staff — employees
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. file — a tool
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. stem — to come from
  21. staff — employees
  22. date — the fruit
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. file — a line of people

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