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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. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. rock — music
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. court — of law
  5. court — for sport
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. prune — to trim
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. court — of a king
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. bound — certain
  14. bound — tied together
  15. cell — a phone
  16. current — of water
  17. cell — in biology
  18. current — electric
  19. current — happening now
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. prune — to trim
  23. rock — a stone
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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