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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
468
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: stick · spring · rash · stem · band · net · ball · bowl

  1. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. spring — a coil
  5. spring — of water
  6. stem — to come from
  7. rash — a series
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. spring — the season
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. band — a ring
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. net — in sport
  20. net — after costs
  21. net — for catching
  22. rash — hasty
  23. band — a music group
  24. ball — a great time

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