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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: perch · craft · net · racket · pitcher · ruler · mine · stem

  1. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. mine — for digging
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. perch — the fish
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. craft — boats
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. net — after costs
  15. net — for catching
  16. craft — a skill
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. net — in sport
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. ruler — a monarch

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