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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: bowl · roll · tube · band · jam · perch · foot · race

  1. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. We're on a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a cake
  2. tube — the underground
  3. race — a contest
  4. jam — in traffic
  5. race — humankind
  6. band — a ring
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. roll — a list
  9. tube — a container
  10. jam — a tight spot
  11. race — the arms race
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. perch — the fish
  15. band — a music group
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. foot — a measure
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. jam — to spread on bread
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. roll — on a roll

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