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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: bowl · trunk · bay · bore · ball · land · spring · net

  1. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. ball — a great time
  4. net — for catching
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. ball — a dance
  10. spring — a coil
  11. land — to come down
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. spring — the season
  14. net — after costs
  15. bore — to tire
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. spring — of water
  18. bore — to drill
  19. land — a country
  20. land — ground
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. net — in sport
  24. bore — gave birth

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