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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: roll · court · perch · board · wax · pound · mate · bound

  1. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. We're on a ________________ here.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. bound — tied together
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. bound — obliged
  5. mate — a friend
  6. court — of a king
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. pound — a weight
  9. roll — a list
  10. board — a committee
  11. court — for sport
  12. board — to get on
  13. bound — certain
  14. mate — to breed
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. roll — a cake
  17. perch — the fish
  18. roll — on a roll
  19. mate — a partner
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. court — of law
  24. wax — to grow

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