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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: ball · object · perch · bark · band · pitch · bound · track

  1. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. bound — certain
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. band — a ring
  6. bound — tied together
  7. object — to protest
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. object — an aim
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. perch — the fish
  14. ball — a dance
  15. object — a thing
  16. bound — obliged
  17. track — to keep track
  18. bark — to shout
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. track — a path
  21. ball — a great time
  22. pitch — completely
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. track — a song

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