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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: ball · mine · spring · pop · bay · cold · bank · bowl

  1. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. The water is too ________________.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — the Cold War
  2. spring — a coil
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. pop — soda
  6. ball — a great time
  7. bank — for money
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. spring — the season
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. mine — for digging
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. bank — of a river
  15. cold — not warm
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. bank — for money
  18. cold — an illness
  19. ball — a dance
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. pop — to visit
  22. pop — music
  23. spring — of water
  24. bowl — to roll

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