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

  1. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. field — for sport
  3. swing — in golf
  4. craft — a skill
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. bank — for money
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. staff — a stick
  9. field — a subject
  10. swing — to play on
  11. roll — a list
  12. swing — music
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. staff — employees
  18. bank — for money
  19. craft — boats
  20. roll — a cake
  21. staff — employees
  22. mine — for digging
  23. field — farmland
  24. craft — a handicraft

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