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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 116 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: stick · season · ruler · tube · mark · spring · board · ball

  1. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. ball — a great time
  3. board — a committee
  4. spring — the season
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. spring — a coil
  9. spring — of water
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. tube — a container
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. ball — a dance
  15. season — in sport
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. mark — a grade
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. tube — the underground
  21. mark — a trace
  22. season — of the year
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. board — to get on

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