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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: foot · tube · bass · field · file · stand · bowl · date

  1. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. Have you settled on a ________________?
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. tube — a container
  3. field — a subject
  4. field — farmland
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. file — a line of people
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. bass — the fish
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. tube — the underground
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. bass — low music
  18. stand — to bear
  19. date — the fruit
  20. file — a tool
  21. foot — a measure
  22. field — for sport
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. file — a document

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