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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: roll · degree · racket · bowl · prune · lie · bay · track

  1. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. We're on a ________________ here.
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. roll — a list
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. track — a song
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. roll — on a roll
  10. degree — temperature
  11. degree — from a university
  12. degree — an amount
  13. roll — a cake
  14. track — to keep track
  15. prune — to trim
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. lie — to recline
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. prune — to trim
  24. track — a path

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