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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: perch · racket · fall · pitcher · root · leaves · scale · arm

  1. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. fall — the season
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. root — of a word
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. root — of a plant
  11. fall — to drop
  12. perch — the fish
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. scale — size or range
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. root — the cause
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. scale — in music
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. fall — to drop

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