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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 · trunk · safe · rock · date · field · cap

  1. Have you settled on a ________________?
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. foot — a measure
  3. tube — a container
  4. field — a subject
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. rock — music
  7. cap — a hat
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. date — the fruit
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. cap — of ice
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. field — for sport
  18. rock — a stone
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. field — farmland
  22. cap — a lid
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. tube — the underground

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