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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.

Words on the sheet
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: bass · mate · pop · mine · suit · track · roll · racket

  1. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. We're on a ________________ here.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. suit — in cards
  3. suit — clothes
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. mate — a friend
  6. track — a song
  7. track — to keep track
  8. suit — to fit
  9. roll — a cake
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. mate — to breed
  14. mine — for digging
  15. pop — soda
  16. bass — the fish
  17. roll — on a roll
  18. bass — low music
  19. mate — a partner
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. roll — a list
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. pop — to visit
  24. pop — music

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