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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: pop · file · present · leaves · bowl · game · can · spring

  1. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. game — a match
  4. file — a line of people
  5. spring — a coil
  6. game — wild animals
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. file — a document
  9. spring — of water
  10. present — the time now
  11. pop — soda
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. present — there
  14. can — a tin
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. pop — to visit
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. spring — the season
  19. present — a gift
  20. can — a tin
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. pop — music
  23. file — a tool
  24. can — to be able to

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