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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: ground · game · mate · perch · shower · ruler · safe · prune

  1. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. shower — to wash
  2. ground — crushed
  3. prune — to trim
  4. ground — a position
  5. perch — the fish
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. game — wild animals
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. mate — a partner
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. mate — to breed
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. ground — the earth
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. mate — a friend
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. prune — to trim
  22. game — a match
  23. shower — rain
  24. safe — out of danger

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