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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: face · ruler · bowl · march · ground · rash · cue · perch

  1. There's no middle ________________.
  2. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. march — the month
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. rash — a series
  6. march — the month
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. cue — for pool
  11. ground — crushed
  12. cue — a signal
  13. cue — a hint
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. ground — the earth
  16. perch — the fish
  17. face — part of the head
  18. rash — hasty
  19. march — music
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. face — to point toward
  23. face — to confront
  24. bowl — a football final

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