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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: wound · bear · pound · charge · perch · band · ground · fork

  1. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. wound — an injury
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. charge — in control
  7. charge — a price
  8. pound — a weight
  9. bear — the animal
  10. ground — the earth
  11. band — a ring
  12. wound — an injury
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. band — a music group
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. ground — crushed
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. charge — electricity
  20. perch — the fish
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. ground — a position
  24. bear — the animal

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