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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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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: row · foot · pop · mouse · pitcher · bore · perch · hide

  1. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. row — a line
  4. pop — soda
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. pop — music
  12. bore — to drill
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. foot — a measure
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. pop — to visit
  18. perch — the fish
  19. row — to paddle
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. bore — to tire
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. hide — to keep secret

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