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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: pitcher · perch · staff · cue · rush · ruler · craft · clip

  1. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  2. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  3. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  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. staff — employees
  2. clip — for paper
  3. clip — to cut
  4. perch — the fish
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. cue — for pool
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. cue — a signal
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. cue — a hint
  13. clip — a video
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. craft — a skill
  16. rush — hurry
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. staff — employees
  20. staff — a stick
  21. craft — boats
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. rush — to hurry
  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