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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: field · saw · foot · rest · pound · deal · perch · tube

  1. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. foot — a measure
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. tube — the underground
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. perch — the fish
  9. saw — the tool
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. deal — to handle
  12. saw — the tool
  13. rest — a break
  14. field — farmland
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. pound — a weight
  19. field — for sport
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. rest — what's left
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. field — a subject
  24. tube — a container

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