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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: rock · fork · net · band · racket · mark · pass · track

  1. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. fork — in a road
  4. mark — a grade
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. rock — a stone
  7. net — after costs
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. net — in sport
  10. rock — music
  11. track — a path
  12. net — for catching
  13. track — to keep track
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. band — a ring
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. mark — a trace
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. track — a song
  22. band — a music group
  23. pass — a permit
  24. pass — to spend time

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