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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.

Make a worksheet

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: stick · perch · ruler · scale · pitcher · cell · object · mug

  1. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. He was locked up in a ________________.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  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. scale — in music
  2. cell — a phone
  3. scale — size or range
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. object — a thing
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. object — an aim
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. cell — in a prison
  11. mug — a cup
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. mug — a face
  15. cell — in biology
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. object — to protest
  21. mug — to rob
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. perch — the fish
  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