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

Word bank: bank · press · bulb · object · field · can · season · rest

  1. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. season — in sport
  3. object — to protest
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. bulb — for light
  6. bank — for money
  7. bulb — for light
  8. rest — a break
  9. field — farmland
  10. rest — what's left
  11. press — to push
  12. field — a subject
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. object — an aim
  15. can — to be able to
  16. bank — of a river
  17. can — a tin
  18. bank — for money
  19. field — for sport
  20. season — of the year
  21. rest — what's left
  22. press — newspapers
  23. object — a thing
  24. press — a publisher

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