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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 120 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: stand · season · track · current · bowl · racket · degree · scale

  1. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. current — of water
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. track — to keep track
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. track — a song
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. degree — an amount
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. season — of the year
  12. season — in sport
  13. scale — in music
  14. stand — to bear
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. current — happening now
  17. current — electric
  18. degree — from a university
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. scale — size or range
  22. degree — temperature
  23. racket — a loud noise
  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