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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: trunk · bulb · court · object · craft · bound · dip · racket

  1. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. court — of law
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. court — of a king
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. bound — certain
  9. bulb — for light
  10. bound — tied together
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. craft — boats
  13. dip — to sink
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. bulb — for light
  17. object — an aim
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. craft — a skill
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. court — for sport
  22. object — a thing
  23. object — to protest
  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