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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 · roll · bass · club · bank · jam · spell · pitcher

  1. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. We're on a ________________ here.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  17. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. spell — a short time
  3. jam — to spread on bread
  4. bass — low music
  5. bass — the fish
  6. spring — a coil
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. roll — on a roll
  9. spell — letters
  10. roll — a cake
  11. spring — the season
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. bank — for money
  14. bank — for money
  15. club — a group
  16. jam — in traffic
  17. roll — a list
  18. club — for golf
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. jam — a tight spot
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. club — for dancing
  23. spell — magic
  24. spring — of water

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