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

Word bank: trunk · spring · bank · club · bound · saw · court · perch

  1. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. bank — for money
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. spring — a coil
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. club — a group
  7. court — for sport
  8. perch — the fish
  9. saw — the tool
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. court — of a king
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. bound — certain
  14. bank — of a river
  15. saw — the tool
  16. spring — the season
  17. club — for dancing
  18. bank — for money
  19. bound — tied together
  20. club — for golf
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. spring — of water
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. court — of law

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