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

Word bank: last · date · field · can · rock · cabinet · shower · bank

  1. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. Have you settled on a ________________?
  15. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. last — to go on
  4. last — final
  5. field — a subject
  6. last — finally
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. field — for sport
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. can — to be able to
  11. bank — for money
  12. field — farmland
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. date — the fruit
  16. bank — for money
  17. bank — of a river
  18. can — a tin
  19. rock — a stone
  20. shower — to wash
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. shower — rain
  23. rock — music
  24. cabinet — ministers

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