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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.

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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: spring · pop · suit · net · branch · saw · board · ball

  1. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. saw — the tool
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. net — in sport
  5. spring — of water
  6. suit — in cards
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. suit — clothes
  9. ball — a dance
  10. net — for catching
  11. saw — the tool
  12. suit — to fit
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. board — a committee
  15. spring — a coil
  16. pop — soda
  17. ball — a great time
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. board — to get on
  20. spring — the season
  21. branch — a division
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. pop — music
  24. net — after costs

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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