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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 120 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. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. stand — to bear
  3. bank — for money
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. spring — of water
  6. pop — to visit
  7. bound — tied together
  8. bound — obliged
  9. current — of water
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. mine — for digging
  12. bank — for money
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. current — happening now
  16. pop — soda
  17. pop — music
  18. current — electric
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. spring — the season
  21. bound — certain
  22. bank — of a river
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. spring — a coil

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