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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.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. capital — a city
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. craft — a skill
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. press — newspapers
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. capital — money
  9. cap — a hat
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. rest — what's left
  12. pit — a hole
  13. cap — of ice
  14. rest — what's left
  15. press — a publisher
  16. pit — in a race
  17. capital — a big letter
  18. press — to push
  19. bore — to drill
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. craft — boats
  22. bore — to tire
  23. rest — a break
  24. cap — a lid

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