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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: pitcher · plane · foot · mark · march · bear · root · shower

  1. The ________________ took off on time.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. march — music
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. shower — to wash
  6. march — the month
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. bear — the animal
  10. mark — a grade
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. root — of a plant
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. march — the month
  17. root — the cause
  18. mark — a trace
  19. bear — the animal
  20. shower — rain
  21. foot — a measure
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. plane — a tool
  24. root — of a word

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