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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: spring · ruler · racket · season · mug · bowl · root · pound

  1. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. mug — to rob
  3. mug — a cup
  4. spring — of water
  5. season — of the year
  6. season — in sport
  7. spring — a coil
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. pound — a weight
  10. mug — a face
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. root — of a plant
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. root — of a word
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. root — the cause
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. spring — the season
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. racket — for tennis

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