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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: pop · shower · bound · bowl · game · cabinet · spring · season

  1. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. shower — rain
  3. spring — a coil
  4. shower — to wash
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. pop — soda
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. bound — obliged
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. season — of the year
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. spring — of water
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. game — a match
  17. season — in sport
  18. pop — music
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. spring — the season
  21. bound — tied together
  22. bound — certain
  23. pop — to visit
  24. season — to add flavour

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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