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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: present · roll · bear · spring · band · last · racket · bay

  1. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. We're on a ________________ here.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. last — final
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. spring — the season
  4. spring — a coil
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. roll — on a roll
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. present — there
  10. roll — a list
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. spring — of water
  13. band — a music group
  14. bear — the animal
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. present — the time now
  17. band — a ring
  18. last — to go on
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. last — finally
  22. bear — the animal
  23. roll — a cake
  24. present — a gift

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