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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: content · rest · ball · spring · wave · pitcher · present · bank

  1. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. bank — of a river
  4. present — a gift
  5. bank — for money
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. rest — what's left
  8. present — there
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. ball — a great time
  11. content — happy
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. ball — a dance
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. rest — a break
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. spring — of water
  18. rest — what's left
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. spring — a coil
  22. spring — the season
  23. present — the time now
  24. bank — for money

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