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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: lie · track · roll · tube · club · jam · perch · degree

  1. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  3. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. We're on a ________________ here.
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. degree — an amount
  3. degree — from a university
  4. club — for dancing
  5. tube — the underground
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. jam — in traffic
  9. degree — temperature
  10. track — a path
  11. roll — on a roll
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. club — a group
  14. roll — a cake
  15. club — for golf
  16. lie — to recline
  17. jam — a tight spot
  18. tube — a container
  19. roll — a list
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. track — a song
  22. perch — the fish
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. tube — in a tire

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