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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: stem · perch · lash · dip · pitcher · field · foot · swing

  1. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. swing — music
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. field — for sport
  7. field — a subject
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. dip — to sink
  11. swing — to play on
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. foot — a measure
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. perch — the fish
  18. stem — to come from
  19. swing — in golf
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. field — farmland
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. perch — for a bird

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