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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: mug · dip · cue · bass · spring · ball · trunk · march

  1. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. march — the month
  3. bass — the fish
  4. ball — a great time
  5. march — the month
  6. cue — a signal
  7. cue — for pool
  8. spring — of water
  9. spring — the season
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. spring — a coil
  12. dip — to sink
  13. march — music
  14. cue — a hint
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. bass — low music
  19. mug — to rob
  20. mug — a face
  21. ball — a dance
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. trunk — of a car

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