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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 120 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. can — to be able to
  3. key — in music
  4. field — for sport
  5. bank — for money
  6. bank — of a river
  7. drill — army training
  8. can — a tin
  9. chest — of your body
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. drill — a practice
  12. field — farmland
  13. drill — the tool
  14. can — a tin
  15. season — of the year
  16. chest — of your body
  17. key — for a lock
  18. present — a gift
  19. key — the most important part
  20. chest — a box
  21. present — the time now
  22. field — a subject
  23. bank — for money
  24. present — there

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