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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 · net · cabinet · mug · band · toast · roll · ruler

  1. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. net — in sport
  3. mug — to rob
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. roll — a list
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. toast — a drink to someone
  10. band — a ring
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. band — a music group
  13. spring — a coil
  14. mug — a cup
  15. mug — a face
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. net — after costs
  20. toast — the most admired
  21. net — for catching
  22. spring — of water
  23. toast — bread
  24. roll — a cake

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