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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.

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: rock · fine · ball · spring · dip · trunk · field · mouse

  1. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. rock — music
  7. spring — of water
  8. rock — a stone
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. fine — high quality
  13. field — a subject
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. field — farmland
  16. spring — a coil
  17. field — for sport
  18. ball — a great time
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. fine — all right
  23. ball — a dance
  24. dip — to sink

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