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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: track · net · scale · hand · can · stick · root · pitcher

  1. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. track — a song
  4. root — the cause
  5. hand — help
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. can — a tin
  9. scale — size or range
  10. track — a path
  11. scale — in music
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. can — a tin
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. hand — in cards
  17. can — to be able to
  18. root — of a plant
  19. root — of a word
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. net — for catching
  22. net — in sport
  23. net — after costs
  24. track — to keep track

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