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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: bulb · root · stand · foot · wound · tube · cell · field

  1. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. He was locked up in a ________________.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. bulb — for light
  4. cell — a phone
  5. field — for sport
  6. tube — a container
  7. root — the cause
  8. wound — an injury
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. cell — in biology
  11. bulb — for light
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. foot — a measure
  15. cell — in a prison
  16. stand — to bear
  17. field — a subject
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. root — of a word
  20. wound — an injury
  21. tube — the underground
  22. field — farmland
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. root — of a plant

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