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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: tear · jam · roll · root · stick · season · swing · tube

  1. We're on a ________________ here.
  2. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  9. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — on a roll
  2. tear — from crying
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. swing — music
  5. root — of a word
  6. jam — to spread on bread
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. roll — a cake
  9. roll — a list
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. tear — from crying
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. season — in sport
  14. root — of a plant
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. tube — a container
  18. jam — in traffic
  19. root — the cause
  20. swing — in golf
  21. tear — to rip
  22. season — of the year
  23. swing — to play on
  24. tube — the underground

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