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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: trunk · pitch · court · hide · land · bound · wave · bay

  1. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. bound — certain
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. bound — obliged
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. land — ground
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. court — of law
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. bound — tied together
  15. land — a country
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. pitch — completely
  19. court — of a king
  20. court — for sport
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. land — to come down
  24. wave — with your hand

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