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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. spring — of water
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. track — a path
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. track — to keep track
  8. spring — the season
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. track — a song
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. ball — a dance
  23. rush — hurry
  24. ball — a great time

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