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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: club · safe · spring · sharp · bowl · deal · object · fine

  1. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. spring — a coil
  3. object — to protest
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. object — a thing
  6. spring — of water
  7. sharp — clever
  8. club — a group
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. spring — the season
  11. club — for dancing
  12. fine — high quality
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. fine — all right
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. club — for golf
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. object — an aim
  23. deal — to handle
  24. fine — a penalty

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