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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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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: degree · bass · perch · racket · kick · track · present · pop

  1. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. bass — low music
  3. pop — to visit
  4. pop — music
  5. present — a gift
  6. degree — temperature
  7. present — the time now
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. bass — the fish
  10. track — a path
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. degree — from a university
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. degree — an amount
  15. present — there
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. pop — soda
  21. perch — the fish
  22. track — a song
  23. track — to keep track
  24. kick — in football

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