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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're almost out of ________________.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. bank — for money
  3. perch — the fish
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. pop — music
  6. pop — to visit
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. bank — of a river
  9. object — an aim
  10. court — of a king
  11. bound — certain
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. bound — obliged
  14. object — to protest
  15. rest — what's left
  16. bound — tied together
  17. bank — for money
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. court — for sport
  20. rest — a break
  21. object — a thing
  22. court — of law
  23. rest — what's left
  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