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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.

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: perch · pitcher · rule · jam · stick · roll · bore · shower

  1. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  3. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. We're on a ________________ here.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. jam — a tight spot
  3. roll — a cake
  4. shower — rain
  5. roll — on a roll
  6. rule — a law
  7. roll — a list
  8. bore — to tire
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. bore — to drill
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. rule — government
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. jam — in traffic
  19. shower — to wash
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. perch — the fish
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. pitcher — a jug

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