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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 120 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
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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: foot · straw · tube · can · cap · fine · deal · field

  1. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. cap — a lid
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. field — farmland
  6. can — a tin
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. field — a subject
  9. cap — a hat
  10. tube — the underground
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. can — to be able to
  13. foot — a measure
  14. can — a tin
  15. deal — to handle
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. fine — high quality
  18. tube — a container
  19. cap — of ice
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. fine — all right
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. fine — a penalty

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