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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: leaves · band · degree · track · mug · pass · ball · board

  1. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. mug — to rob
  4. degree — from a university
  5. degree — temperature
  6. band — a ring
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. board — to get on
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. ball — a great time
  12. track — a song
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. band — a music group
  15. board — a committee
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. pass — a permit
  20. mug — a face
  21. degree — an amount
  22. ball — a dance
  23. mug — a cup
  24. track — a path

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