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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: perch · can · pass · rule · bat · wound · foot · pop

  1. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. rule — government
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. wound — an injury
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. bat — the animal
  7. pop — music
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. can — to be able to
  11. pop — to visit
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. can — a tin
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. perch — the fish
  18. wound — an injury
  19. can — a tin
  20. bat — for baseball
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. pass — a permit
  23. rule — a law
  24. pop — soda

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