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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: bowl · perch · pop · bound · bore · stand · trunk · kick

  1. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. perch — the fish
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. pop — music
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. pop — soda
  13. pop — to visit
  14. bound — certain
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. stand — to bear
  18. bore — to tire
  19. bore — to drill
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. bound — obliged
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. kick — in football
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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