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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: pitcher · root · board · wind · rest · bank · season · perch

  1. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. root — of a plant
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. root — of a word
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. bank — for money
  8. rest — what's left
  9. rest — a break
  10. board — to get on
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. bank — of a river
  14. rest — what's left
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. root — the cause
  17. season — of the year
  18. bank — for money
  19. board — a committee
  20. perch — the fish
  21. season — in sport
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. wind — moving air
  24. wind — to turn a key

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