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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: bound · spring · perch · charge · trunk · court · stock · cabinet

  1. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. spring — the season
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. stock — goods
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. court — of a king
  9. charge — in control
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. court — of law
  13. charge — electricity
  14. stock — shares
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. spring — of water
  17. bound — obliged
  18. perch — the fish
  19. charge — a price
  20. spring — a coil
  21. bound — certain
  22. court — for sport
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. bound — tied together

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