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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: rush · field · swing · date · bank · cabinet · ball · pop

  1. David sat on the ________________.
  2. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  3. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. Have you settled on a ________________?
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. field — farmland
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. pop — to visit
  5. swing — music
  6. pop — music
  7. date — the fruit
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. field — a subject
  10. ball — a dance
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. field — for sport
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. rush — hurry
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. bank — of a river
  19. ball — a great time
  20. bank — for money
  21. swing — in golf
  22. pop — soda
  23. bank — for money
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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