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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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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: wake · mark · spring · bowl · pound · date · deal · stick

  1. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. Have you settled on a ________________?
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. deal — to handle
  7. spring — a coil
  8. spring — the season
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. mark — a grade
  16. pound — a weight
  17. mark — a trace
  18. wake — a trail
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. date — the fruit
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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