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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
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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: net · degree · bowl · track · roll · trunk · cue · straw

  1. We're on a ________________ here.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — on a roll
  2. track — to keep track
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. roll — a cake
  5. net — in sport
  6. degree — temperature
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. roll — a list
  9. cue — for pool
  10. net — after costs
  11. degree — an amount
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. track — a song
  14. track — a path
  15. net — for catching
  16. degree — from a university
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. cue — a signal
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. cue — a hint
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. trunk — of a car

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