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

  1. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. Have you settled on a ________________?
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  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. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. field — farmland
  3. spring — of water
  4. field — a subject
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. bank — for money
  9. pit — a hole
  10. spring — the season
  11. pit — in a race
  12. bank — of a river
  13. spring — a coil
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. date — the fruit
  17. field — for sport
  18. rest — what's left
  19. bank — for money
  20. rest — what's left
  21. rest — a break
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. date — on the calendar

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