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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: roll · nail · cue · bowl · fall · pop · bank · season

  1. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. We're on a ________________ here.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. cue — for pool
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. cue — a signal
  5. pop — music
  6. pop — soda
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. bank — for money
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. season — of the year
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. roll — on a roll
  15. season — in sport
  16. bank — of a river
  17. cue — a hint
  18. roll — a cake
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. fall — to drop
  21. fall — to drop
  22. fall — the season
  23. pop — to visit
  24. roll — a list

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