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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.

Make a worksheet

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: can · pitcher · ruler · lie · date · cold · scale · perch

  1. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  2. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. Have you settled on a ________________?
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. The water is too ________________.
  12. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. date — the fruit
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. can — to be able to
  9. cold — the Cold War
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. cold — not warm
  12. cold — an illness
  13. scale — size or range
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. can — a tin
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. scale — in music
  21. lie — to recline
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. perch — the fish
  24. can — a tin

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