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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: rest · field · foot · stick · deal · bulb · cap · trunk

  1. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. rest — a break
  3. cap — a lid
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. bulb — for light
  6. foot — a measure
  7. cap — of ice
  8. field — farmland
  9. field — a subject
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. deal — to handle
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. rest — what's left
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. rest — what's left
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. bulb — for light
  22. field — for sport
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. cap — a hat

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