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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: fall · foot · pitcher · spring · stick · wave · root · perch

  1. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. root — the cause
  4. fall — to drop
  5. spring — a coil
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. spring — of water
  11. fall — the season
  12. root — of a word
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. foot — a measure
  15. perch — the fish
  16. spring — the season
  17. root — of a plant
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. fall — to drop
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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