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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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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: race · pitcher · spring · cue · bowl · rock

  1. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. cue — a hint
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. spring — of water
  6. race — a contest
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. race — humankind
  9. spring — a coil
  10. cue — a signal
  11. rock — music
  12. cue — for pool
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. rock — a stone
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. race — the arms race
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. pitcher — in baseball

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