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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 116 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 · bat · trunk · mug · safe · bowl · pop · net

  1. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. spring — a coil
  4. pop — music
  5. net — after costs
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. mug — to rob
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. net — for catching
  11. pop — soda
  12. net — in sport
  13. pop — to visit
  14. bat — the animal
  15. spring — of water
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. spring — the season
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. mug — a cup
  21. bat — in an idiom
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. mug — a face
  24. trunk — of a car

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