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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 · mark · cell · bowl · cue · branch · foot · spell

  1. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. foot — a measure
  3. spell — a short time
  4. spring — of water
  5. branch — a division
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. cue — a hint
  9. spring — a coil
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. spell — letters
  13. spell — magic
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. cell — a phone
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. cell — in biology
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. mark — a trace
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. mark — a grade
  23. spring — the season
  24. cue — a signal

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