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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: march · pitcher · squash · stick · bowl · bat · jam · root

  1. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. jam — in traffic
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. squash — the sport
  7. bat — the animal
  8. march — the month
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. root — of a word
  12. squash — to crush
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. bat — in an idiom
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. march — the month
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. march — music
  21. root — the cause
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. squash — the vegetable
  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