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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: track · trunk · wind · roll · pass · squash · degree · band

  1. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  4. We're on a ________________ here.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. roll — a list
  4. roll — on a roll
  5. squash — to crush
  6. degree — an amount
  7. band — a music group
  8. wind — moving air
  9. band — a ring
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. track — to keep track
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. degree — temperature
  15. roll — a cake
  16. track — a path
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. degree — from a university
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. squash — the sport
  22. wind — moving air
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. pass — a permit

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