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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: staff · land · spring · ball · coach · bay · bowl · jam

  1. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. land — to come down
  3. land — a country
  4. ball — a dance
  5. staff — employees
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. spring — of water
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. spring — a coil
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. ball — a great time
  15. spring — the season
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. staff — employees
  20. land — ground
  21. staff — a stick
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. jam — a tight spot
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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