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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: season · bulb · foot · field · stand · pitcher · cap · wave

  1. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  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. wave — of the sea
  2. cap — a lid
  3. season — of the year
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. season — in sport
  6. field — a subject
  7. cap — of ice
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. field — for sport
  10. field — farmland
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. bulb — for light
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. bulb — for light
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. foot — a measure
  21. stand — to bear
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. pitcher — a jug
  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