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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: rest · bank · bore · pound · pitcher · spring · season · staff

  1. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. season — in sport
  4. staff — employees
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. pound — a weight
  9. season — of the year
  10. spring — of water
  11. spring — the season
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. rest — what's left
  14. staff — employees
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. bank — for money
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. bore — to tire
  19. bank — of a river
  20. bank — for money
  21. spring — a coil
  22. rest — a break
  23. staff — a stick
  24. bore — to drill

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