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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 120 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: pass · pitcher · rush · track · band · degree · mouse · plane

  1. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. rush — hurry
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. band — a music group
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. track — a path
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. track — a song
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. band — a ring
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. pass — a permit
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. degree — an amount
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. degree — from a university
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. plane — a tool
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. degree — temperature

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