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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: pitcher · stem · current · root · row · perch · club · prune

  1. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. current — of water
  4. stem — to come from
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. current — happening now
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. root — of a plant
  10. perch — the fish
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. row — to paddle
  13. row — a line
  14. club — for golf
  15. club — a group
  16. club — for dancing
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. root — the cause
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. prune — to trim
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. root — of a word
  24. current — electric

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