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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 · clip · field · kick · can · cap · stand · racket

  1. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. can — a tin
  3. can — a tin
  4. field — farmland
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. field — for sport
  7. cap — a hat
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. field — a subject
  10. cap — a lid
  11. cap — of ice
  12. clip — to cut
  13. can — to be able to
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. clip — for paper
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. kick — in football
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. stand — to bear
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. bulb — for light
  23. clip — a video
  24. bulb — for light

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