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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.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: spring · mouse · race · spell · row · pitch

  1. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. spring — the season
  4. race — the arms race
  5. row — to paddle
  6. spell — a short time
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. race — a contest
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. spell — magic
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. row — a line
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. race — humankind
  16. pitch — completely
  17. spring — of water
  18. spell — letters

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