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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: shower · stem · pitcher · can · mouse · perch · cue · spell

  1. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. cue — a signal
  5. stem — to come from
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. perch — the fish
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. spell — letters
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. spell — a short time
  12. can — a tin
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. spell — magic
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. cue — for pool
  17. cue — a hint
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. shower — to wash
  20. can — a tin
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. shower — rain
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. mouse — the animal

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