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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: spring · bear · ground · board · rest · current · bowl · saw

  1. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. current — electric
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. ground — the earth
  5. rest — what's left
  6. current — happening now
  7. board — to get on
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. saw — the tool
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. spring — the season
  13. board — a committee
  14. current — of water
  15. spring — of water
  16. saw — the tool
  17. spring — a coil
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. rest — a break
  20. ground — crushed
  21. ground — a position
  22. rest — what's left
  23. bear — the animal
  24. bowl — a dish

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