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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 · swing · ruler · pitcher · prune · bulb · pound · game

  1. He is an ace ________________.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. perch — the fish
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. bulb — for light
  5. swing — to play on
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. swing — in golf
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. game — a match
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. prune — to trim
  13. prune — to trim
  14. pound — a weight
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. game — wild animals
  21. swing — music
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. bulb — for light
  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