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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: track · pitcher · racket · stick · land · clip · degree · mouse

  1. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  21. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. degree — temperature
  5. land — to come down
  6. clip — for paper
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. track — a path
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. track — a song
  11. land — a country
  12. clip — a video
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. land — ground
  17. track — to keep track
  18. degree — from a university
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. degree — an amount
  21. clip — to cut
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. racket — for tennis

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