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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.

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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: mouse · land · plane · cabinet · track · degree · stick · ball

  1. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. track — a path
  5. degree — an amount
  6. ball — a great time
  7. track — to keep track
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. land — to come down
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. land — ground
  15. track — a song
  16. land — a country
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. degree — temperature
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. ball — a dance
  24. degree — from a university

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