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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: ball · spring · bowl · tube · spell · fine · game · board

  1. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. tube — the underground
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. fine — high quality
  5. spell — magic
  6. spring — of water
  7. board — to get on
  8. spell — a short time
  9. spell — letters
  10. spring — the season
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. game — a match
  15. spring — a coil
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. fine — all right
  18. ball — a dance
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. ball — a great time
  23. board — a committee
  24. game — wild animals

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