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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 · mug · pop · saw · wave · tube · firm · game

  1. We're on a ________________ here.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — on a roll
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. mug — a face
  4. game — a match
  5. firm — a company
  6. mug — a cup
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. tube — a container
  9. firm — decided
  10. roll — a list
  11. pop — music
  12. pop — soda
  13. tube — the underground
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. mug — to rob
  18. saw — the tool
  19. saw — the tool
  20. firm — steady
  21. pop — to visit
  22. roll — a cake
  23. game — wild animals
  24. wave — with your hand

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