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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 120 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. perch — the fish
  3. drill — army training
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. track — to keep track
  6. rule — a law
  7. bound — tied together
  8. bear — the animal
  9. bound — certain
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. rule — government
  14. track — a path
  15. pound — a weight
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. drill — the tool
  20. drill — a practice
  21. track — a song
  22. bound — obliged
  23. bear — the animal
  24. board — a committee

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