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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 · race · prune · bound · jam · mouse · pound · chip

  1. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  2. We're on a ________________ here.
  3. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  7. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  22. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. race — a contest
  2. roll — on a roll
  3. jam — to spread on bread
  4. race — humankind
  5. race — the arms race
  6. roll — a cake
  7. jam — a tight spot
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. bound — tied together
  11. pound — a weight
  12. prune — to trim
  13. bound — certain
  14. chip — for betting
  15. bound — obliged
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. prune — to trim
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. jam — in traffic
  22. roll — a list
  23. chip — to eat
  24. mouse — the animal

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