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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: mouse · present · bound · rock · track · perch · pound · last

  1. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. rock — music
  6. bound — tied together
  7. track — to keep track
  8. last — to go on
  9. rock — a stone
  10. pound — a weight
  11. perch — the fish
  12. track — a song
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. bound — certain
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. bound — obliged
  18. present — the time now
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. last — final
  21. track — a path
  22. present — there
  23. present — a gift
  24. mouse — the animal

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