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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 120 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: foot · bulb · leaves · pound · lie · vault · pit · field

  1. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. field — farmland
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. field — a subject
  8. lie — to recline
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. pound — a weight
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. field — for sport
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. pit — a hole
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. pit — in a race
  18. bulb — for light
  19. vault — a safe
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. bulb — for light
  24. pound — for dogs

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