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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
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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: present · land · rock · arm · sharp · perch · pitcher · rule

  1. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. 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. arm — a part of something
  2. present — a gift
  3. sharp — clever
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. rule — a law
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. rule — government
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. present — the time now
  11. land — to come down
  12. rock — music
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. land — a country
  15. rock — a stone
  16. present — there
  17. perch — the fish
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. land — ground
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. 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