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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.

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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: bulb · land · bowl · net · bank · pop · spring · cue

  1. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. cue — for pool
  3. net — for catching
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. bank — of a river
  7. land — to come down
  8. pop — soda
  9. bank — for money
  10. pop — to visit
  11. spring — the season
  12. pop — music
  13. bulb — for light
  14. net — after costs
  15. spring — a coil
  16. spring — of water
  17. land — a country
  18. cue — a hint
  19. bulb — for light
  20. land — ground
  21. cue — a signal
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. bank — for money

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