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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 · cap · spell · roll · object · bank · mouse · racket

  1. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. We're on a ________________ here.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. bank — of a river
  3. spring — a coil
  4. object — to protest
  5. spring — of water
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. roll — a list
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. bank — for money
  10. cap — a hat
  11. bank — for money
  12. spring — the season
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. roll — on a roll
  16. cap — a lid
  17. cap — of ice
  18. object — an aim
  19. spell — magic
  20. spell — a short time
  21. object — a thing
  22. roll — a cake
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. racket — for tennis

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