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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: spring · bank · rule · cabinet · bass · ground · race · can

  1. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. can — a tin
  3. race — humankind
  4. race — the arms race
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. rule — a law
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. bass — the fish
  9. rule — government
  10. bank — of a river
  11. spring — a coil
  12. bass — low music
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. can — a tin
  17. bank — for money
  18. bank — for money
  19. ground — a position
  20. can — to be able to
  21. spring — of water
  22. race — a contest
  23. ground — crushed
  24. ground — the earth

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