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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
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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: stem · foot · branch · jam · pitcher · mouse · row · perch

  1. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. row — to paddle
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. jam — to spread on bread
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. branch — a division
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. foot — a measure
  13. stem — to come from
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. perch — the fish
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. pitcher — a jug

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