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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: calf · pound · wound · perch · mate · scale · march · track

  1. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. wound — an injury
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. track — a song
  5. mate — a friend
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. track — to keep track
  8. scale — size or range
  9. march — the month
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. pound — a weight
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. scale — in music
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. perch — the fish
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. track — a path
  18. march — the month
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. mate — a partner
  23. wound — an injury
  24. mate — to breed

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