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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: stick · pitcher · ruler · racket · root · can · wound · lean

  1. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. can — to be able to
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. lean — to bend
  6. lean — thin
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. can — a tin
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. root — of a plant
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. wound — an injury
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. wound — an injury
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. can — a tin
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. root — the cause

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