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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: mug · spring · ball · drill · bulb · prune · bear · track

  1. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. ball — a dance
  3. spring — a coil
  4. track — a path
  5. bulb — for light
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. bear — the animal
  8. ball — a great time
  9. prune — to trim
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. track — a song
  13. mug — to rob
  14. spring — the season
  15. bear — the animal
  16. prune — to trim
  17. mug — a cup
  18. mug — a face
  19. drill — a practice
  20. bulb — for light
  21. drill — army training
  22. track — to keep track
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. drill — the tool

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