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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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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: prune · bay · mark · bowl · pitcher · perch · bore · ruler

  1. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. prune — to trim
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. mark — a grade
  14. bore — to tire
  15. mark — a trace
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. bore — to drill
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. prune — to trim

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