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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 116 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 · stem · bank · row · pitcher · racket · wound · rush

  1. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. wound — an injury
  4. bank — for money
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. stem — to come from
  9. bank — for money
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. row — to paddle
  15. row — a line
  16. bank — of a river
  17. perch — the fish
  18. rush — hurry
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. wound — an injury
  24. stem — a stem cell

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