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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: spring · can · pit · ruler · rock · field · spell · bowl

  1. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. spring — a coil
  3. field — farmland
  4. spell — letters
  5. spring — the season
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. field — for sport
  8. spell — a short time
  9. spell — magic
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. field — a subject
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. rock — a stone
  18. rock — music
  19. can — to be able to
  20. pit — a hole
  21. pit — in a race
  22. can — a tin
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. spring — of water

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