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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: mouse · foot · tube · saw · mate · rush · field · racket

  1. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. field — farmland
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. saw — the tool
  4. tube — a container
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. mate — a partner
  7. saw — the tool
  8. tube — the underground
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. rush — hurry
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. field — for sport
  16. mate — a friend
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. foot — a measure
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. mate — to breed
  23. field — a subject
  24. rush — a thrill

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