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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 120 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: object · cue · ball · spring · pound · bear · patient · pop

  1. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  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. object — a thing
  2. ball — a dance
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. object — to protest
  5. spring — the season
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. cue — a hint
  8. cue — for pool
  9. pound — a weight
  10. object — an aim
  11. ball — a great time
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. cue — a signal
  15. pop — music
  16. spring — a coil
  17. pop — to visit
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. bear — the animal
  22. bear — the animal
  23. pop — soda
  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