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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: tube · firm · jam · band · key · race · mouse · snap

  1. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. jam — in traffic
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. key — for a lock
  6. firm — a company
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. band — a music group
  9. race — the arms race
  10. tube — the underground
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. snap — to click
  13. key — in music
  14. race — humankind
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. key — the most important part
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. jam — a tight spot
  20. firm — decided
  21. band — a ring
  22. jam — to spread on bread
  23. firm — steady
  24. race — a contest

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