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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: foot · rush · wake · cell · fork · ball · track · club

  1. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. He was locked up in a ________________.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. foot — a measure
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. wake — a trail
  5. club — a group
  6. rush — hurry
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. track — to keep track
  10. cell — a phone
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. track — a song
  13. cell — in a prison
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. ball — a dance
  18. fork — in a road
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. ball — a great time
  21. track — a path
  22. club — for dancing
  23. club — for golf
  24. ball — a round shape

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