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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 120 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
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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: court · temple · tube · stick · wake · bound · bark · board

  1. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. bound — obliged
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. tube — a container
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. board — a committee
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. bound — tied together
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. bark — to shout
  16. court — for sport
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. court — of law
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. board — to get on
  21. court — of a king
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. bound — certain
  24. wake — a trail

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