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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: rock · track · row · wave · perch · stem · squash · pitcher

  1. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. track — to keep track
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. squash — the sport
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. perch — the fish
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. rock — a stone
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. row — to paddle
  15. squash — to crush
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. rock — music
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. track — a path
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. row — a line
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. track — a song

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