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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: rock · stand · content · jam · rest · pitcher · scale · root

  1. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. root — of a word
  4. content — the amount
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. root — of a plant
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. scale — in music
  10. jam — to spread on bread
  11. scale — size or range
  12. root — the cause
  13. rest — a break
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. rest — what's left
  16. jam — in traffic
  17. rest — what's left
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. content — happy
  20. rock — a stone
  21. jam — a tight spot
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. rock — music
  24. stand — to bear

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