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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.

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: spring · bowl · pop · racket · wave · foot · spell · bank

  1. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. spring — of water
  3. spring — the season
  4. pop — to visit
  5. spell — letters
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. spell — magic
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. pop — music
  13. pop — soda
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. spell — a short time
  18. bank — for money
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. bank — for money
  21. spring — a coil
  22. foot — a measure
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. racket — a loud noise

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