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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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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 · net · bowl · pass · band · suit · sharp

  1. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  2. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. We're on a ________________ here.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. band — a music group
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. roll — a list
  5. race — the arms race
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. race — a contest
  9. suit — in cards
  10. suit — clothes
  11. pass — a permit
  12. net — in sport
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. suit — to fit
  16. sharp — clever
  17. net — for catching
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. roll — on a roll
  20. band — a ring
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. net — after costs
  24. roll — a cake

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