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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: stand · track · prune · ground · perch · bound · rock · game

  1. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. stand — to bear
  4. prune — to trim
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. rock — music
  7. ground — a position
  8. ground — the earth
  9. track — a song
  10. game — a match
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. track — a path
  13. game — wild animals
  14. bound — obliged
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. prune — to trim
  17. track — to keep track
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. ground — crushed
  21. rock — a stone
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. perch — the fish
  24. bound — tied together

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