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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: bark · ball · branch · bowl · spring · roll · bore · bank

  1. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. We're on a ________________ here.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. bank — of a river
  3. spring — the season
  4. bark — to shout
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. spring — a coil
  8. roll — a list
  9. bank — for money
  10. branch — a division
  11. ball — a great time
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. roll — a cake
  14. bank — for money
  15. bore — to tire
  16. bore — to drill
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. roll — on a roll
  19. spring — of water
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. ball — a dance
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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