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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
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: perch · tube · current · track · cue · squash · chest · degree

  1. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  23. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. chest — a box
  3. current — electric
  4. cue — a hint
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. tube — the underground
  7. cue — for pool
  8. squash — to crush
  9. degree — an amount
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. current — happening now
  12. tube — a container
  13. track — a path
  14. current — of water
  15. cue — a signal
  16. track — to keep track
  17. squash — the sport
  18. degree — from a university
  19. degree — temperature
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. perch — the fish
  22. chest — of your body
  23. chest — of your body
  24. squash — the vegetable

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