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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.

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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: ruler · mug · march · pound · shower · pitcher · spell · perch

  1. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  2. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. shower — to wash
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. spell — a short time
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. march — music
  8. spell — letters
  9. march — the month
  10. march — the month
  11. pound — to hit hard
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. spell — magic
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. mug — to rob
  17. pound — a weight
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. perch — the fish
  20. mug — a face
  21. shower — rain
  22. mug — a cup
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  24. perch — for a bird

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