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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. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. spring — of water
  3. spring — a coil
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. bear — the animal
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. race — a contest
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. rule — government
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. race — humankind
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. pound — a weight
  15. bear — the animal
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. race — the arms race
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. rule — a law
  24. bear — to put up with

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