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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: arm · jam · drill · bass · tube · race · can · row

  1. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. race — a contest
  2. drill — army training
  3. race — the arms race
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. bass — low music
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. drill — a practice
  10. can — a tin
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. drill — the tool
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. row — a line
  15. jam — to spread on bread
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. bass — the fish
  18. race — humankind
  19. row — to paddle
  20. jam — a tight spot
  21. tube — a container
  22. tube — the underground
  23. can — to be able to
  24. can — a tin

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