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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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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: rule · perch · branch · present · suit · pitcher · ground · shower

  1. He is an ace ________________.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. present — the time now
  3. present — there
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. suit — to fit
  6. present — a gift
  7. ground — a position
  8. rule — government
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. suit — clothes
  11. shower — rain
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. ground — the earth
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. perch — the fish
  17. suit — in cards
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. branch — a division
  20. rule — a law
  21. shower — to wash
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  24. ground — crushed

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