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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: root · bat · fall · current · date · pitcher · lean · bowl

  1. Have you settled on a ________________?
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  12. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. fall — the season
  4. date — the fruit
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. lean — thin
  7. root — of a plant
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. fall — to drop
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. bat — the animal
  13. root — the cause
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. current — happening now
  17. bat — in an idiom
  18. lean — to bend
  19. current — of water
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. current — electric
  23. root — of a word
  24. fall — to drop

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