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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: can · ruler · perch · pit · land · tear · mate · kid

  1. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  6. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. can — a tin
  3. land — to come down
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. tear — from crying
  6. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  7. mate — a friend
  8. pit — a hole
  9. land — a country
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. mate — a partner
  12. can — to be able to
  13. perch — the fish
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. land — ground
  16. kid — to tease
  17. pit — in a race
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. tear — from crying
  20. mate — to breed
  21. kid — child
  22. can — a tin
  23. tear — to rip
  24. ruler — for measuring

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