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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: bound · swing · foot · perch · roll · spring · can · track

  1. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. can — a tin
  3. swing — music
  4. bound — tied together
  5. roll — a list
  6. bound — certain
  7. track — to keep track
  8. swing — in golf
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. track — a path
  11. can — a tin
  12. perch — the fish
  13. spring — of water
  14. spring — a coil
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. can — to be able to
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. foot — a measure
  20. swing — to play on
  21. roll — a cake
  22. track — a song
  23. bound — obliged
  24. perch — for a bird

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