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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: last · current · track · bound · perch · ruler · mine · bark

  1. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. perch — the fish
  3. track — a song
  4. last — final
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. last — finally
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. track — to keep track
  9. current — happening now
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. bound — obliged
  13. mine — for digging
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. bound — tied together
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. current — of water
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. bark — to shout
  20. current — electric
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. bound — certain
  23. track — a path
  24. last — to go on

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