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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: perch · ball · row · track · firm · pit · mouse · degree

  1. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. track — a song
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. track — a path
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. ball — a dance
  7. firm — steady
  8. degree — an amount
  9. degree — from a university
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. row — a line
  12. firm — decided
  13. pit — a hole
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. ball — a great time
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. firm — a company
  18. perch — the fish
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. track — to keep track
  22. degree — temperature
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. row — to paddle

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