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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: band · foot · stick · bound · trunk · bay · court · mate

  1. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. mate — a friend
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. bound — certain
  7. band — a ring
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. court — of a king
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. foot — a measure
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. court — of law
  17. mate — a partner
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. band — a music group
  20. court — for sport
  21. mate — to breed
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. bound — tied together
  24. bound — obliged

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