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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: arm · present · staff · bowl · mug · ground · spring · tube

  1. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. mug — to rob
  3. staff — employees
  4. ground — crushed
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. ground — a position
  10. present — there
  11. mug — a cup
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. spring — a coil
  14. spring — of water
  15. staff — employees
  16. tube — a container
  17. present — the time now
  18. spring — the season
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. present — a gift
  21. ground — the earth
  22. tube — the underground
  23. staff — a stick
  24. bowl — a dish

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