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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: mouse · row · fine · pitcher · pound · rush · perch · drill

  1. He is an ace ________________.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. perch — the fish
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. drill — the tool
  9. row — a line
  10. row — to paddle
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. fine — high quality
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. fine — all right
  17. pound — a weight
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. rush — hurry
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. drill — army training
  24. drill — a practice

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