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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: pit · bear · ruler · shower · mate · pitch · arm · perch

  1. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. bear — the animal
  5. shower — rain
  6. pit — in a race
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. pit — a hole
  11. mate — a partner
  12. mate — to breed
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. shower — to wash
  18. pitch — completely
  19. bear — the animal
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. mate — a friend
  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