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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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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: bowl · kick · pound · band · spring · cue · mate · saw

  1. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. mate — a partner
  3. spring — a coil
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. kick — in football
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. cue — a signal
  9. band — a ring
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. cue — a hint
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. spring — of water
  14. saw — the tool
  15. band — a music group
  16. pound — a weight
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. saw — the tool
  21. mate — a friend
  22. spring — the season
  23. mate — to breed
  24. kick — with a leg

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