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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.

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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 · bear · cell · ruler · scale · hide

  1. He was locked up in a ________________.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. scale — in music
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. scale — size or range
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. cell — in biology
  14. bear — the animal
  15. bear — the animal
  16. cell — a phone
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. 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