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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: swing · board · bear · bound · pitcher · mug · leaves · spring

  1. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. bear — the animal
  3. board — to get on
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. swing — music
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. spring — the season
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. bound — obliged
  10. board — a committee
  11. bear — the animal
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. mug — to rob
  15. swing — in golf
  16. bound — certain
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. swing — to play on
  19. spring — of water
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. mug — a cup
  22. mug — a face
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. bound — tied together

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