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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: drill · pitcher · perch · toast · wound · rock · bound · content

  1. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. wound — an injury
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. wound — an injury
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. drill — the tool
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. bound — certain
  10. toast — the most admired
  11. drill — army training
  12. perch — the fish
  13. bound — tied together
  14. toast — a drink to someone
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. rock — a stone
  18. bound — obliged
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. drill — a practice
  21. content — happy
  22. content — the amount
  23. toast — bread
  24. rock — music

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