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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: pound · bat · leaves · bound · bowl · chair · spell · trunk

  1. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. spell — a short time
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. bound — obliged
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. chair — a leader
  10. spell — letters
  11. pound — to hit hard
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. bat — in an idiom
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. bound — tied together
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. spell — magic
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. bat — the animal
  21. bound — certain
  22. bat — for baseball
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. leaves — of a tree

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