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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: present · content · firm · trunk · fork · ball · court · bound

  1. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  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 — certain
  2. bound — tied together
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. ball — a dance
  5. content — happy
  6. fork — in a road
  7. court — of a king
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. bound — obliged
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. present — a gift
  14. firm — a company
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. firm — steady
  17. present — the time now
  18. present — there
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. court — for sport
  21. ball — a great time
  22. firm — decided
  23. content — the amount
  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