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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: pass · trunk · pound · court · present · bore · saw · chip

  1. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. present — there
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. saw — the tool
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. saw — the tool
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. pound — a weight
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. court — for sport
  12. court — of law
  13. court — of a king
  14. chip — to eat
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. present — the time now
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. present — a gift
  19. chip — for betting
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. bore — to drill
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. bore — to tire

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