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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.

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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 · degree · racket · race · bay · mug · saw · cue

  1. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. track — a path
  3. race — the arms race
  4. track — to keep track
  5. degree — temperature
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. saw — the tool
  8. cue — a signal
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. mug — a face
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. degree — from a university
  13. mug — a cup
  14. cue — for pool
  15. track — a song
  16. degree — an amount
  17. mug — to rob
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. race — a contest
  20. race — humankind
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. saw — the tool
  24. cue — a hint

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