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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: ruler · mug · pitch · safe · arm · rush · bat · perch

  1. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. mug — a cup
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. rush — hurry
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. mug — to rob
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. mug — a face
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. pitch — completely
  22. bat — the animal
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. perch — the fish

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