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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: row · tube · lean · bear · track · bulb · jam · band

  1. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. tube — a container
  3. lean — to bend
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. bear — the animal
  6. jam — a tight spot
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. bulb — for light
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. band — a ring
  13. band — a music group
  14. jam — in traffic
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. row — a line
  17. row — to paddle
  18. bulb — for light
  19. tube — the underground
  20. track — a path
  21. bear — the animal
  22. track — a song
  23. lean — thin
  24. track — to keep track

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