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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: court · game · wound · object · pass · trunk · bass · chair

  1. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. court — of law
  3. court — of a king
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. wound — an injury
  6. object — a thing
  7. bass — low music
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. object — to protest
  11. wound — an injury
  12. chair — a leader
  13. game — a match
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. object — an aim
  17. game — wild animals
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. court — for sport
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. bass — the fish
  24. pass — a permit

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