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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
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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: rush · degree · leaves · wind · mouse · suit · track · pitch

  1. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  24. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. wind — moving air
  5. suit — to fit
  6. track — a path
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. suit — clothes
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. degree — temperature
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. suit — in cards
  17. track — to keep track
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. wind — moving air
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. rush — hurry
  22. pitch — completely
  23. degree — an amount
  24. degree — from a university

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