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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 116 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: land · rock · perch · can · swing · bound · bore · prune

  1. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. prune — to trim
  3. bound — tied together
  4. swing — music
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. bound — obliged
  7. swing — to play on
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. perch — the fish
  10. can — a tin
  11. can — a tin
  12. land — to come down
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. bore — to drill
  15. rock — music
  16. rock — a stone
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. swing — in golf
  20. land — ground
  21. can — to be able to
  22. prune — to trim
  23. bound — certain
  24. bore — to tire

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