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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: ground · degree · season · track · rock · racket · cabinet · bear

  1. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. degree — an amount
  2. track — to keep track
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. ground — a position
  6. track — a path
  7. bear — the animal
  8. ground — crushed
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. season — in sport
  12. rock — music
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. ground — the earth
  16. degree — from a university
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. degree — temperature
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. track — a song
  21. bear — the animal
  22. rock — a stone
  23. season — of the year
  24. season — to add flavour

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