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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 120 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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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: pitch · perch · cold · prune · bear · rock · root · cue

  1. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. The water is too ________________.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. root — the cause
  3. cold — an illness
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. cold — the Cold War
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. cue — for pool
  9. root — of a word
  10. cue — a hint
  11. rock — music
  12. prune — to trim
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. pitch — completely
  15. cue — a signal
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. root — of a plant
  18. bear — the animal
  19. rock — a stone
  20. prune — to trim
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. bear — the animal
  23. cold — not warm
  24. perch — the fish

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