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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: ball · spring · bowl · rest · rash · bark · mouse · swing

  1. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. spring — of water
  3. ball — a great time
  4. spring — a coil
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. swing — in golf
  7. spring — the season
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. rash — hasty
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. swing — music
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. rest — a break
  15. rash — a series
  16. bark — to shout
  17. rest — what's left
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. rest — what's left
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. swing — to play on
  24. mouse — the animal

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