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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: roll · fine · tube · chip · wake · land · cell · race

  1. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  8. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. He was locked up in a ________________.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. We're on a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. wake — a trail
  3. land — ground
  4. race — the arms race
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. tube — a container
  7. cell — a phone
  8. roll — a cake
  9. chip — to eat
  10. cell — in a prison
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. fine — all right
  14. fine — high quality
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. land — to come down
  17. chip — for betting
  18. roll — a list
  19. land — a country
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. race — humankind
  22. tube — the underground
  23. race — a contest
  24. roll — on a roll

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