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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: perch · swing · fine · track · club · bound · sharp · lie

  1. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. lie — to recline
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. bound — tied together
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. fine — all right
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. swing — to play on
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. club — for dancing
  12. sharp — clever
  13. track — a song
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. track — to keep track
  16. bound — certain
  17. swing — in golf
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. club — a group
  20. track — a path
  21. swing — music
  22. bound — obliged
  23. perch — the fish
  24. club — for golf

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