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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 116 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. bound — certain
  3. current — of water
  4. court — of a king
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. current — happening now
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. current — electric
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. bound — tied together
  12. rock — music
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. court — for sport
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. bear — the animal
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. fork — in a road
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. bound — obliged
  22. rock — a stone
  23. court — of law
  24. rock — to move gently

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