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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: swing · can · prune · jam · bank · field · mate · hide

  1. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. field — farmland
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. field — for sport
  4. jam — a tight spot
  5. can — a tin
  6. mate — a partner
  7. can — to be able to
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. prune — to trim
  10. swing — in golf
  11. bank — for money
  12. mate — a friend
  13. field — a subject
  14. bank — of a river
  15. swing — to play on
  16. bank — for money
  17. mate — to breed
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. jam — to spread on bread
  20. swing — music
  21. jam — in traffic
  22. prune — to trim
  23. can — a tin
  24. hide — to keep secret

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