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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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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: ball · bound · trunk · bulb · jam · kid · pop · temple

  1. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. bound — obliged
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. jam — in traffic
  5. bound — tied together
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. kid — child
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. ball — a dance
  13. kid — to tease
  14. ball — a great time
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. bulb — for light
  17. bulb — for light
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. bound — certain
  20. jam — a tight spot
  21. pop — soda
  22. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  23. pop — music
  24. temple — a place of worship

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