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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 flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. bound — tied together
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. pass — a permit
  7. pitch — completely
  8. spring — a coil
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. bound — certain
  11. court — of law
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. spring — of water
  15. court — of a king
  16. pop — music
  17. pop — to visit
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. court — for sport
  22. pop — soda
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. bound — obliged

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