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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: stick · bat · trunk · track · bound · leaves · march · chair

  1. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. bound — tied together
  7. track — a path
  8. bat — the animal
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. march — music
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. march — the month
  14. bound — obliged
  15. chair — a leader
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. track — to keep track
  20. track — a song
  21. march — the month
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. bat — in an idiom

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