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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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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 · bowl · calf · stick · mark · cap · rule · pound

  1. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. cap — of ice
  4. rule — government
  5. spring — a coil
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. spring — of water
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. mark — a grade
  15. cap — a hat
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. cap — a lid
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. mark — a trace
  21. spring — the season
  22. rule — a law
  23. pound — a weight
  24. bowl — to roll

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