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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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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 · calf · cap · hide · prune · field · pitcher · bound

  1. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. bound — obliged
  4. bound — tied together
  5. bound — certain
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. field — for sport
  8. prune — to trim
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. cap — of ice
  12. foot — a measure
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. cap — a lid
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. field — a subject
  19. cap — a hat
  20. prune — to trim
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. field — farmland

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