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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: mine · ruler · mug · prune · pitcher · arm · perch · march

  1. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. mug — to rob
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. mug — a face
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. march — the month
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. march — the month
  17. prune — to trim
  18. prune — to trim
  19. mine — for digging
  20. perch — the fish
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. march — music
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. mug — a cup

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