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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.

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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: mouse · bowl · ball · cue · spring · root · wind · calf

  1. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. spring — a coil
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. cue — for pool
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. spring — the season
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. root — the cause
  10. root — of a word
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. spring — of water
  13. wind — moving air
  14. cue — a signal
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. root — of a plant
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. cue — a hint
  19. ball — a great time
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. wind — moving air

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