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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: pitcher · file · march · racket · cap · stem · rest · root

  1. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. rest — a break
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. root — the cause
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. march — the month
  7. root — of a plant
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. file — a document
  10. cap — of ice
  11. stem — to come from
  12. rest — what's left
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. march — the month
  15. file — a tool
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. root — of a word
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. rest — what's left
  20. cap — a lid
  21. file — a line of people
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. march — music
  24. cap — a hat

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