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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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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: mouse · rule · pitch · perch · trunk · bound · pound · ground

  1. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. ground — the earth
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. pound — a weight
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. bound — certain
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. rule — a law
  12. ground — crushed
  13. perch — the fish
  14. ground — a position
  15. rule — government
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. pitch — completely
  20. bound — obliged
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. pound — to hit hard

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