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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: rule · lean · march · ground · pound · rock · charge · perch

  1. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. charge — a price
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. rule — government
  7. march — the month
  8. ground — a position
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. ground — the earth
  11. lean — to bend
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. rule — a law
  14. lean — thin
  15. march — the month
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. charge — electricity
  18. charge — in control
  19. ground — crushed
  20. rock — music
  21. march — music
  22. perch — the fish
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. rock — a stone

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