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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. kid — child
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. bank — for money
  6. root — of a plant
  7. root — the cause
  8. root — of a word
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. mate — a friend
  11. present — the time now
  12. mate — a partner
  13. bank — of a river
  14. bank — for money
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. mate — to breed
  17. perch — the fish
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. kid — to tease
  22. present — a gift
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. present — there

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