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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: bowl · deal · stem · mouse · spring · track · mine · present

  1. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. spring — of water
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. present — the time now
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. deal — to handle
  11. spring — the season
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. present — there
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. spring — a coil
  17. present — a gift
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. track — a song
  20. mine — for digging
  21. track — a path
  22. track — to keep track
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. stem — to come from

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