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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
468
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: net · tube · leaves · deal · roll · root · bowl · band

  1. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. We're on a ________________ here.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. net — for catching
  3. band — a ring
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. band — a music group
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. roll — a list
  9. net — in sport
  10. roll — on a roll
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. net — after costs
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. root — of a word
  15. deal — to handle
  16. root — the cause
  17. tube — the underground
  18. root — of a plant
  19. roll — a cake
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. tube — a container

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