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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 124 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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: bound · board · bear · scale · trunk · roll · deal · leaves

  1. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  14. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. We're on a ________________ here.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. bound — obliged
  4. bound — certain
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. bound — tied together
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. bear — the animal
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. scale — size or range
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. roll — a list
  14. roll — a cake
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. board — a committee
  18. scale — in music
  19. roll — on a roll
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. deal — to handle
  23. bear — the animal
  24. trunk — of a tree

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