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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: field · leaves · mine · can · pop · shower · bank · season

  1. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. can — to be able to
  3. can — a tin
  4. season — of the year
  5. field — for sport
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. shower — rain
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. bank — for money
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. shower — to wash
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. bank — of a river
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. bank — for money
  16. pop — music
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. mine — for digging
  20. pop — to visit
  21. field — a subject
  22. field — farmland
  23. can — a tin
  24. season — in sport

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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