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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: perch · cap · wound · sharp · bound · roll · stand · key

  1. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. We're on a ________________ here.
  5. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. roll — on a roll
  5. roll — a cake
  6. bound — tied together
  7. perch — the fish
  8. bound — obliged
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. sharp — clever
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. wound — an injury
  13. roll — a list
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. key — for a lock
  16. cap — a hat
  17. wound — an injury
  18. stand — to bear
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. key — the most important part
  21. bound — certain
  22. cap — a lid
  23. cap — of ice
  24. stand — on your feet

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