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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: chest · perch · fine · stand · charge · plane · pitcher · root

  1. He is an ace ________________.
  2. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. chest — of your body
  3. plane — a tool
  4. fine — high quality
  5. stand — to bear
  6. chest — a box
  7. perch — the fish
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. chest — of your body
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. charge — in control
  15. fine — all right
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. root — of a plant
  18. root — of a word
  19. charge — a price
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. charge — electricity
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. root — the cause

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