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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: key · lean · bound · race · pound · bark · perch · bowl

  1. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. race — the arms race
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. bound — certain
  6. pound — a weight
  7. bound — tied together
  8. bound — obliged
  9. race — humankind
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. bark — to shout
  12. lean — to bend
  13. key — for a lock
  14. race — a contest
  15. key — in music
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. key — the most important part
  19. perch — the fish
  20. lean — thin
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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