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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · scale · prune · stand · mouse · bat · wound · pitcher

  1. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. scale — in music
  4. stand — to bear
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. prune — to trim
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. bat — for baseball
  15. wound — an injury
  16. bat — the animal
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. scale — size or range
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. wound — an injury
  23. prune — to trim
  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