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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: bank · board · season · fine · field · mine · rush · spring

  1. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  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. bank — for money
  2. bank — of a river
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. board — a committee
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. spring — of water
  7. field — a subject
  8. field — for sport
  9. spring — the season
  10. board — to get on
  11. fine — high quality
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. mine — for digging
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. season — in sport
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. fine — all right
  20. bank — for money
  21. rush — hurry
  22. season — of the year
  23. field — farmland
  24. spring — a coil

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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