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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: net · tear · firm · trunk · pound · bound · ball · current

  1. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. pound — a weight
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. net — in sport
  5. current — of water
  6. ball — a dance
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. firm — steady
  10. firm — a company
  11. current — happening now
  12. tear — from crying
  13. ball — a great time
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. bound — certain
  16. net — after costs
  17. tear — from crying
  18. firm — decided
  19. bound — obliged
  20. tear — to rip
  21. bound — tied together
  22. current — electric
  23. net — for catching
  24. pound — to hit hard

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