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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
468
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 · bark · object · toast · racket · nail · spring · band

  1. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. spring — a coil
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. band — a music group
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. object — to protest
  7. toast — bread
  8. toast — the most admired
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. object — an aim
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. bark — to shout
  13. object — a thing
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. band — a ring
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. spring — the season
  21. toast — a drink to someone
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. spring — of water

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