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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.

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: perch · court · bound · kick · track · march · saw · chip

  1. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. perch — the fish
  3. saw — the tool
  4. march — the month
  5. kick — in football
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. chip — to eat
  8. court — for sport
  9. track — to keep track
  10. march — the month
  11. track — a path
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. court — of a king
  15. bound — obliged
  16. court — of law
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. saw — the tool
  19. track — a song
  20. march — music
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. bound — certain
  24. chip — for betting

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