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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: bear · spring · bass · straw · bowl · root · ball · pass

  1. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. pass — a permit
  4. spring — the season
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. bass — the fish
  7. ball — a dance
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. spring — a coil
  11. spring — of water
  12. bear — the animal
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. ball — a great time
  17. root — the cause
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. root — of a plant
  20. bear — the animal
  21. root — of a word
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. bass — low music
  24. bowl — a football final

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