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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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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: court · bore · trunk · object · stand · game · wound · bound

  1. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. bore — to tire
  3. object — a thing
  4. bore — to drill
  5. court — of law
  6. wound — an injury
  7. stand — to bear
  8. object — an aim
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. court — for sport
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. bound — tied together
  14. wound — an injury
  15. bound — obliged
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. game — a match
  18. bound — certain
  19. game — wild animals
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. object — to protest
  24. bore — gave birth

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