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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: ground · stand · bowl · cell · suit · spring · rush · mate

  1. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. He was locked up in a ________________.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. spring — of water
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. rush — hurry
  5. ground — a position
  6. mate — a friend
  7. mate — a partner
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. spring — the season
  11. mate — to breed
  12. spring — a coil
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. suit — in cards
  15. ground — crushed
  16. suit — to fit
  17. cell — in a prison
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. ground — the earth
  21. cell — a phone
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. cell — in biology
  24. suit — clothes

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