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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.

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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 · plane · band · spring · patient · current · bowl · fall

  1. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. spring — a coil
  6. current — of water
  7. fall — the season
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. band — a music group
  11. band — a ring
  12. spring — the season
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. fall — to drop
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. plane — a tool
  18. current — electric
  19. fall — to drop
  20. current — happening now
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. ball — a great time
  23. spring — of water
  24. ball — a dance

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