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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: cap · row · perch · can · staff · pitcher · bore · mine

  1. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. row — a line
  3. bore — to drill
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. can — to be able to
  6. cap — a lid
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. staff — employees
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. cap — of ice
  11. staff — a stick
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. staff — employees
  15. row — to paddle
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. mine — for digging
  18. bore — to tire
  19. cap — a hat
  20. can — a tin
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. perch — the fish

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