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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 120 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: ball · pitcher · ruler · drill · saw · perch · bound · mug

  1. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. bound — obliged
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. saw — the tool
  6. ball — a great time
  7. saw — the tool
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. mug — a cup
  11. drill — a practice
  12. perch — the fish
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. bound — tied together
  17. drill — army training
  18. ball — a dance
  19. drill — the tool
  20. mug — to rob
  21. mug — a face
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. bound — certain

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