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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: root · pitcher · mouse · fall · bay · march · stem · bowl

  1. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. fall — the season
  5. fall — to drop
  6. root — of a plant
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. root — the cause
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. stem — to come from
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. march — the month
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. root — of a word
  17. march — music
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. fall — to drop
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. bowl — to roll

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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