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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 120 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. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. club — for golf
  3. club — a group
  4. firm — decided
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. bound — tied together
  7. court — of a king
  8. rock — a stone
  9. court — for sport
  10. club — for dancing
  11. rock — music
  12. firm — a company
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. pop — music
  15. bound — certain
  16. court — of law
  17. pop — to visit
  18. spring — of water
  19. firm — steady
  20. spring — a coil
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. spring — the season
  23. pop — soda
  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