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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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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: mouse · rule · wound · pitcher · straw · perch · vault · pound

  1. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. perch — the fish
  4. pound — a weight
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. rule — a law
  14. rule — government
  15. wound — an injury
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. wound — an injury
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. vault — a safe
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  24. perch — for a bird

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