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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: squash · track · wax · jam · race · roll · present · ball

  1. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  15. We're on a ________________ here.
  16. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  17. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — a tight spot
  2. track — a path
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. squash — the sport
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. present — a gift
  8. jam — to spread on bread
  9. present — there
  10. ball — a dance
  11. ball — a great time
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. track — a song
  14. jam — in traffic
  15. roll — on a roll
  16. roll — a list
  17. roll — a cake
  18. race — humankind
  19. squash — to crush
  20. track — to keep track
  21. race — a contest
  22. wax — to grow
  23. race — the arms race
  24. present — the time now

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