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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. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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. mine — for digging
  4. wake — a trail
  5. pass — a permit
  6. bank — for money
  7. drill — the tool
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. object — a thing
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. drill — army training
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. season — of the year
  15. season — in sport
  16. field — a subject
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. bank — of a river
  19. object — to protest
  20. bank — for money
  21. object — an aim
  22. drill — a practice
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. mine — belonging to me

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