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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: perch · bound · toast · pound · march · arm · trunk · mark

  1. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. march — music
  3. bound — certain
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. toast — the most admired
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. bound — tied together
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. pound — a weight
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. toast — a drink to someone
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. mark — a trace
  16. bound — obliged
  17. mark — a grade
  18. toast — bread
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. march — the month
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. march — the month
  23. perch — the fish
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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