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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 · kid · bank · leaves · wave · land · trunk · root

  1. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. root — of a word
  4. kid — child
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. land — ground
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. land — a country
  10. bank — for money
  11. land — to come down
  12. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. bank — of a river
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. root — of a plant
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. kid — to tease
  21. root — the cause
  22. bank — for money
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. leaves — of a tree

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