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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: can · squash · fine · mine · spring · field · present · mate

  1. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. squash — to crush
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. field — for sport
  5. present — there
  6. mine — for digging
  7. can — to be able to
  8. field — a subject
  9. can — a tin
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. present — a gift
  12. field — farmland
  13. fine — high quality
  14. spring — of water
  15. mate — a friend
  16. present — the time now
  17. squash — the sport
  18. mate — to breed
  19. can — a tin
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. mate — a partner
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. fine — all right
  24. spring — a coil

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