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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 · stock · band · bound · track · mate · arm · drill

  1. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. bound — obliged
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. band — a ring
  5. track — a path
  6. stock — shares
  7. drill — army training
  8. drill — the tool
  9. perch — the fish
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. band — a music group
  12. track — to keep track
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. bound — tied together
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. mate — a friend
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. mate — to breed
  21. mate — a partner
  22. stock — goods
  23. bound — certain
  24. track — a song

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