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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: bass · field · snap · bark · last · leaves · fine · bank

  1. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. field — farmland
  4. bank — for money
  5. last — to go on
  6. fine — high quality
  7. bark — to shout
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. field — for sport
  11. last — finally
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. last — final
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. bass — the fish
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. fine — all right
  18. snap — to click
  19. field — a subject
  20. bank — for money
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. bank — of a river
  23. bass — low music
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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