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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: swing · present · rule · trunk · bound · land · can · pitcher

  1. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. land — ground
  6. swing — music
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. can — a tin
  9. present — there
  10. land — to come down
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. bound — tied together
  13. rule — a law
  14. swing — to play on
  15. present — the time now
  16. can — a tin
  17. bound — certain
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. land — a country
  20. can — to be able to
  21. rule — government
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. bound — obliged
  24. swing — in golf

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