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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
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: pound · saw · bear · pitcher · bulb · present · field · calf

  1. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. field — farmland
  3. present — a gift
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. bulb — for light
  8. present — the time now
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. saw — the tool
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. field — a subject
  14. field — for sport
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. present — there
  19. pound — a weight
  20. bear — the animal
  21. bear — the animal
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. bulb — for light
  24. calf — a young animal

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