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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.

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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 · stand · swing · calf · bowl · bound · scale · shower

  1. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. shower — rain
  3. bound — certain
  4. swing — in golf
  5. swing — to play on
  6. spring — the season
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. scale — size or range
  11. scale — in music
  12. bound — obliged
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. swing — music
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. shower — to wash
  18. spring — a coil
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. stand — to bear
  24. spring — of water

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