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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 116 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: bound · spring · pop · cue · deal · race · bowl · cold

  1. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. The water is too ________________.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  23. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. race — a contest
  3. deal — to handle
  4. cue — a hint
  5. spring — the season
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. cue — a signal
  8. pop — to visit
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. spring — of water
  11. race — humankind
  12. spring — a coil
  13. cold — not warm
  14. bound — obliged
  15. race — the arms race
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. cue — for pool
  18. pop — soda
  19. bound — certain
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. pop — music
  22. cold — an illness
  23. cold — the Cold War
  24. bowl — a dish

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