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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.

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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 · current · bank · band · suit · bowl · season · pitcher

  1. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. spring — of water
  3. suit — in cards
  4. suit — to fit
  5. band — a ring
  6. season — in sport
  7. current — happening now
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. current — electric
  11. current — of water
  12. spring — a coil
  13. bank — for money
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. suit — clothes
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. band — a music group
  20. bank — of a river
  21. spring — the season
  22. season — of the year
  23. bank — for money
  24. pitcher — a jug

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