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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. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. Have you settled on a ________________?
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  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 — for sport
  2. mug — to rob
  3. mug — a cup
  4. file — a document
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. bear — the animal
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. bear — the animal
  9. date — the fruit
  10. bank — for money
  11. mug — a face
  12. field — farmland
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. file — a line of people
  15. club — for golf
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. file — a tool
  18. mine — for digging
  19. field — a subject
  20. club — a group
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. bank — of a river
  23. club — for dancing
  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