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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 120 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: foot · perch · rash · march · content · stand · bound · mine

  1. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. perch — the fish
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. rash — a series
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. bound — tied together
  8. stand — to bear
  9. bound — obliged
  10. rash — hasty
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. content — the amount
  14. march — the month
  15. mine — for digging
  16. march — the month
  17. march — music
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. foot — a measure
  20. content — happy
  21. bound — certain
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. foot — part of the body

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