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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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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: bound · pound · perch · kick · track · drill · bay · leaves

  1. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. bound — obliged
  8. bound — certain
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. drill — a practice
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. drill — army training
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. track — a song
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. drill — the tool
  18. track — to keep track
  19. bound — tied together
  20. perch — the fish
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. kick — in football
  23. track — a path
  24. bay — a horse colour

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