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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.

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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: mate · net · bulb · field · mug · trunk · can · ground

  1. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. bulb — for light
  4. net — after costs
  5. field — a subject
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. mate — to breed
  9. field — farmland
  10. net — in sport
  11. mug — a face
  12. mug — to rob
  13. field — for sport
  14. mug — a cup
  15. can — a tin
  16. mate — a friend
  17. ground — a position
  18. bulb — for light
  19. ground — the earth
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. mate — a partner
  22. can — to be able to
  23. ground — crushed
  24. can — a tin

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