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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: rush · arm · ruler · perch · pop · bore · foot · field

  1. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  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. pop — to visit
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. field — for sport
  4. field — a subject
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. bore — to tire
  8. foot — a measure
  9. field — farmland
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. pop — soda
  13. rush — hurry
  14. bore — to drill
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. perch — the fish
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. pop — music
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. rush — a thrill
  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