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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 116 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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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: key · ruler · mark · club · cell · pitcher · pound · perch

  1. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. He was locked up in a ________________.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. mark — a grade
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. club — for golf
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. key — for a lock
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. cell — a phone
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. key — the most important part
  13. club — a group
  14. club — for dancing
  15. key — in music
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. cell — in a prison
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. mark — a trace
  20. cell — in biology
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. pound — a weight
  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