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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · pass · file · calf · field · straw · pitcher · cap

  1. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. file — a tool
  3. cap — a hat
  4. field — for sport
  5. field — farmland
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. bulb — for light
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. file — a line of people
  11. file — a document
  12. cap — of ice
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. cap — a lid
  23. pass — a permit
  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