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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: spring · clip · bat · fine · bank · mug · object · pound

  1. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  19. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  20. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. spring — a coil
  3. bank — for money
  4. fine — high quality
  5. spring — the season
  6. mug — to rob
  7. clip — a video
  8. spring — of water
  9. bank — for money
  10. pound — a weight
  11. object — an aim
  12. bat — the animal
  13. mug — a face
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. object — to protest
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. bank — of a river
  18. bat — in an idiom
  19. bat — for baseball
  20. clip — for paper
  21. object — a thing
  22. clip — to cut
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. fine — all right

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