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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 · band · bear · season · stock · bowl · coach · bank

  1. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. band — a music group
  3. season — of the year
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. stock — goods
  7. bear — the animal
  8. bank — for money
  9. spring — of water
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. stock — shares
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. spring — a coil
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. bank — of a river
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. band — a ring
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. bear — the animal
  23. bank — for money
  24. season — in sport

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