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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: bark · ruler · perch · game · can · stand · cell · lean

  1. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. He was locked up in a ________________.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. game — wild animals
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. can — a tin
  9. cell — in a prison
  10. lean — to bend
  11. can — to be able to
  12. bark — to shout
  13. stand — to bear
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. perch — the fish
  17. lean — thin
  18. can — a tin
  19. game — a match
  20. cell — in biology
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. lean — to rest against

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