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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.

Make a worksheet

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: root · stand · arm · pitcher · sharp · perch · key · rash

  1. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. stand — to bear
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. root — of a plant
  10. rash — hasty
  11. root — of a word
  12. key — for a lock
  13. rash — a series
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. sharp — clever
  16. perch — the fish
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. key — the most important part
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. root — the cause
  21. key — in music
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. stand — on your feet

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