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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 116 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. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. bank — for money
  4. staff — a stick
  5. bound — obliged
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. bound — certain
  8. bank — of a river
  9. bank — for money
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. spring — of water
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. spring — a coil
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. spring — the season
  17. staff — employees
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. staff — employees
  21. bound — tied together
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. ball — a dance

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