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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: ruler · stand · sharp · spring · club · perch · trunk · bound

  1. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. bound — certain
  3. perch — the fish
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. club — for golf
  7. sharp — clever
  8. club — for dancing
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. club — a group
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. spring — of water
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. bound — tied together
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. bound — obliged
  18. spring — a coil
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. stand — to bear
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. spring — the season

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