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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: club · row · stick · tube · perch · capital · bound · track

  1. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. track — to keep track
  3. capital — money
  4. track — a song
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. tube — a container
  7. track — a path
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. club — for golf
  10. tube — the underground
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. club — for dancing
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. bound — certain
  17. bound — obliged
  18. bound — tied together
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. row — a line
  21. capital — a city
  22. row — to paddle
  23. perch — the fish
  24. club — a group

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