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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: march · foot · file · safe · field · bank · shower · deal

  1. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. We took cover from the thunder ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. march — the month
  4. file — a tool
  5. file — a line of people
  6. foot — a measure
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. bank — of a river
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. bank — for money
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. file — a document
  14. shower — to wash
  15. bank — for money
  16. march — the month
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. field — a subject
  21. deal — to handle
  22. field — for sport
  23. field — farmland
  24. shower — rain

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