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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.

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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: tube · ball · bulb · jam · race · bank · leaves · saw

  1. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — in traffic
  2. bank — of a river
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. saw — the tool
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. ball — a great time
  8. race — a contest
  9. tube — a container
  10. saw — the tool
  11. jam — a tight spot
  12. bank — for money
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. tube — the underground
  17. race — humankind
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. bank — for money
  20. bulb — for light
  21. bulb — for light
  22. race — the arms race
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. ball — a dance

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