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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 · capital · court · rule · bowl · bat · bear · trunk

  1. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  23. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  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 tree
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. rule — a law
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. bat — in an idiom
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. capital — a city
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. bear — the animal
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. court — of a king
  14. court — of law
  15. bear — the animal
  16. rule — government
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. bound — certain
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. bound — tied together
  21. court — for sport
  22. capital — money
  23. bat — the animal
  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