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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: bank · spring · pitch · pass · bound · bowl · racket · fan

  1. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. bank — for money
  3. bank — of a river
  4. bound — certain
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. bank — for money
  7. spring — of water
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. pitch — completely
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. bound — tied together
  17. pass — a permit
  18. spring — the season
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. spring — a coil
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. bound — obliged
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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