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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 116 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: snap · track · cue · pop · degree · bowl · pit · branch

  1. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. track — a song
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. snap — to click
  6. degree — from a university
  7. track — a path
  8. degree — an amount
  9. degree — temperature
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. cue — a signal
  17. cue — a hint
  18. pop — to visit
  19. track — to keep track
  20. branch — a division
  21. pit — a hole
  22. pop — music
  23. pit — in a race
  24. cue — for pool

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