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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: temple · bank · mate · current · date · saw · season · field

  1. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. Have you settled on a ________________?
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. mate — a friend
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. current — electric
  6. saw — the tool
  7. bank — of a river
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. season — in sport
  10. field — a subject
  11. saw — the tool
  12. field — for sport
  13. field — farmland
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. date — the fruit
  16. bank — for money
  17. mate — to breed
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. current — happening now
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. bank — for money
  23. mate — a partner
  24. current — of water

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