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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: rush · pit · hand · pound · rule · perch · pitcher · saw

  1. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. pit — in a race
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. pound — a weight
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. rule — a law
  11. pit — a hole
  12. hand — in cards
  13. rule — government
  14. rush — hurry
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. hand — help
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. saw — the tool
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. saw — the tool
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. perch — the fish

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