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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: mark · dip · tube · game · court · jam · roll · band

  1. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  2. We're on a ________________ here.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  6. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. Would you like some apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. roll — on a roll
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. mark — a grade
  5. roll — a list
  6. jam — a tight spot
  7. mark — a trace
  8. game — a match
  9. court — for sport
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. dip — to sink
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. tube — the underground
  14. court — of a king
  15. band — a music group
  16. game — wild animals
  17. roll — a cake
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. court — of law
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. band — a ring
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. tube — a container
  24. jam — to spread on bread

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