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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: rock · pitcher · pass · mouse · bat · perch · root · racket

  1. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. rock — a stone
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. root — of a plant
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. pass — a permit
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. root — of a word
  18. perch — the fish
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. bat — the animal
  22. rock — music
  23. bat — for baseball
  24. root — the cause

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