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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 120 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: bear · degree · mark · bowl · lie · cue · deal · spring

  1. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. degree — temperature
  4. cue — a hint
  5. deal — to handle
  6. degree — an amount
  7. spring — of water
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. cue — for pool
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. spring — the season
  12. mark — a trace
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. mark — a grade
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. cue — a signal
  19. lie — to recline
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. degree — from a university
  23. bear — the animal
  24. bear — the animal

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