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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. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. bound — certain
  3. bank — for money
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. bound — tied together
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. rash — hasty
  10. spring — a coil
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. spring — the season
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. game — wild animals
  17. rash — a series
  18. game — a match
  19. spring — of water
  20. bank — for money
  21. bank — of a river
  22. bound — obliged
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. rush — hurry

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