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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 · pitcher · bank · foot · field · pass · can · wake

  1. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. field — for sport
  3. bank — of a river
  4. can — to be able to
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. pass — a permit
  8. bank — for money
  9. wake — a trail
  10. field — farmland
  11. can — a tin
  12. can — a tin
  13. foot — a measure
  14. bulb — for light
  15. bulb — for light
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. field — a subject
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. bank — for money
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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