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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 120 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
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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: rush · spring · game · snap · court · bowl · pass · pound

  1. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. game — wild animals
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. spring — the season
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. spring — of water
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. spring — a coil
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. rush — hurry
  14. game — a match
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. court — for sport
  17. pound — a weight
  18. court — of a king
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. court — of law
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. snap — to click
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. pass — a permit

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