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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 116 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: leaves · present · stand · pitcher · track · land · rock · bound

  1. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. land — ground
  3. track — a song
  4. present — a gift
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. present — there
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. land — to come down
  10. track — a path
  11. track — to keep track
  12. land — a country
  13. rock — music
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. stand — to bear
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. bound — certain
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. present — the time now
  23. bound — obliged
  24. bound — tied together

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