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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: pop · fall · jam · race · bass · bowl · root · band

  1. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — to spread on bread
  2. fall — to drop
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. bass — low music
  5. pop — to visit
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. bass — the fish
  9. pop — soda
  10. pop — music
  11. band — a ring
  12. root — of a plant
  13. race — a contest
  14. race — humankind
  15. jam — in traffic
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. band — a music group
  18. fall — the season
  19. root — the cause
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. root — of a word
  22. race — the arms race
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. fall — to drop

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