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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. jam — to spread on bread
  3. perch — the fish
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. board — to get on
  11. staff — a stick
  12. board — a committee
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. jam — in traffic
  15. shower — rain
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. jam — a tight spot
  18. dip — to sink
  19. staff — employees
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. staff — employees
  22. shower — to wash
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  24. pitcher — a jug

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