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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
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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: mark · squash · tube · race · perch · ball · roll · suit

  1. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  2. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. We're on a ________________ here.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. roll — a cake
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. perch — the fish
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. squash — the sport
  8. tube — a container
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. squash — to crush
  11. tube — the underground
  12. ball — a great time
  13. suit — clothes
  14. mark — a trace
  15. roll — on a roll
  16. mark — a grade
  17. race — the arms race
  18. suit — in cards
  19. roll — a list
  20. suit — to fit
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. race — a contest
  23. ball — a dance
  24. race — humankind

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