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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: stand · cue · tube · bark · season · track · perch · bound

  1. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. bound — tied together
  3. track — to keep track
  4. stand — to bear
  5. cue — a signal
  6. season — of the year
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. tube — the underground
  10. cue — a hint
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. bound — obliged
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. tube — a container
  16. bound — certain
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. track — a song
  19. cue — for pool
  20. perch — the fish
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. track — a path
  24. season — in sport

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