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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: ball · bore · track · degree · race · roll · pitch · toast

  1. We're on a ________________ here.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  13. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — on a roll
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. track — a path
  4. bore — to drill
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. race — a contest
  7. ball — a dance
  8. roll — a list
  9. ball — a great time
  10. toast — the most admired
  11. pitch — completely
  12. toast — bread
  13. toast — a drink to someone
  14. track — to keep track
  15. degree — temperature
  16. degree — an amount
  17. degree — from a university
  18. race — the arms race
  19. bore — to tire
  20. race — humankind
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. track — a song
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. roll — a cake

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