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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: mate · fall · spring · club · bass · bowl · can · ground

  1. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. can — to be able to
  3. can — a tin
  4. mate — a friend
  5. fall — to drop
  6. ground — the earth
  7. club — for dancing
  8. can — a tin
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. spring — the season
  11. mate — to breed
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. spring — of water
  14. bass — low music
  15. bass — the fish
  16. spring — a coil
  17. ground — a position
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. mate — a partner
  20. club — a group
  21. fall — the season
  22. fall — to drop
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. club — for golf

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