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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: wave · track · staff · bay · land · club · foot · racket

  1. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. track — to keep track
  3. staff — employees
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. club — for golf
  7. land — to come down
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. club — for dancing
  10. club — a group
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. land — a country
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. staff — a stick
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. foot — a measure
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. track — a path
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. track — a song
  22. land — ground
  23. staff — employees
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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