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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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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: mark · pop · club · file · stick · season · rush · tube

  1. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. tube — the underground
  3. file — a document
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. pop — music
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. pop — to visit
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. club — a group
  11. rush — hurry
  12. file — a tool
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. season — in sport
  15. tube — a container
  16. club — for golf
  17. pop — soda
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. mark — a trace
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. mark — a grade
  23. file — a line of people
  24. club — for dancing

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