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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: ruler · ground · perch · pass · club · roll · wound · bear

  1. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. We're on a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. club — a group
  3. roll — a cake
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. pass — a permit
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. ground — a position
  8. ground — the earth
  9. wound — an injury
  10. club — for dancing
  11. perch — the fish
  12. wound — an injury
  13. bear — the animal
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. roll — a list
  18. club — for golf
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. bear — the animal
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. ground — crushed
  24. roll — on a roll

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