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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.

Make a worksheet

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: bowl · date · mine · spring · ball · bay · hand · pound

  1. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. Have you settled on a ________________?
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. ball — a dance
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. hand — help
  9. ball — a great time
  10. spring — of water
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. spring — the season
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. pound — a weight
  19. hand — in cards
  20. spring — a coil
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. date — the fruit
  24. bay — a horse colour

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