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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: firm · tube · bowl · present · land · tear · roll · track

  1. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. We're on a ________________ here.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. track — to keep track
  4. land — a country
  5. roll — a list
  6. land — to come down
  7. present — the time now
  8. firm — decided
  9. tube — a container
  10. present — a gift
  11. present — there
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. firm — a company
  14. tear — from crying
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. tear — to rip
  17. track — a path
  18. track — a song
  19. tube — the underground
  20. roll — on a roll
  21. firm — steady
  22. roll — a cake
  23. land — ground
  24. bowl — a football final

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