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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: perch · ruler · toast · band · pitcher · date · fall · roll

  1. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. We're on a ________________ here.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  10. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  11. Have you settled on a ________________?
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  16. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  17. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. band — a ring
  4. roll — on a roll
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. band — a music group
  9. roll — a cake
  10. toast — bread
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. fall — the season
  13. fall — to drop
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. toast — a drink to someone
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. date — the fruit
  18. perch — the fish
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. roll — a list
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. toast — the most admired
  23. fall — to drop
  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