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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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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: bore · bulb · field · stem · roll · foot · perch · saw

  1. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  11. We're on a ________________ here.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. field — a subject
  3. saw — the tool
  4. foot — a measure
  5. field — for sport
  6. bulb — for light
  7. bore — to tire
  8. bulb — for light
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. roll — a cake
  11. roll — on a roll
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. saw — the tool
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. field — farmland
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. roll — a list
  21. bore — to drill
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. stem — to come from

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