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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 120 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: staff · perch · shower · ruler · club · bound · track · wound

  1. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. track — a song
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. shower — rain
  5. wound — an injury
  6. bound — obliged
  7. staff — a stick
  8. track — a path
  9. shower — to wash
  10. perch — the fish
  11. club — for golf
  12. bound — certain
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. staff — employees
  15. wound — an injury
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. club — a group
  18. staff — employees
  19. bound — tied together
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. club — for dancing
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. track — to keep track

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