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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.

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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 · bear · bound · bowl · court · ground · rock · board

  1. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. board — a committee
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. bound — certain
  6. bound — obliged
  7. rock — music
  8. court — for sport
  9. ground — the earth
  10. bound — tied together
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. ground — crushed
  13. bear — the animal
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. board — to get on
  17. bear — the animal
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. ground — a position
  22. court — of law
  23. court — of a king
  24. rock — a stone

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