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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 116 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. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. field — farmland
  2. field — for sport
  3. rest — what's left
  4. season — of the year
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. pound — a weight
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. pop — to visit
  10. season — in sport
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. bank — of a river
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. pop — soda
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. pop — music
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. rest — what's left
  19. bank — for money
  20. field — a subject
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. rest — a break
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. bank — for money

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