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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: bark · band · track · date · arm · craft · fine · trunk

  1. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. Have you settled on a ________________?
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. track — a song
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. fine — high quality
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. bark — to shout
  11. band — a music group
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. craft — a skill
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. date — the fruit
  17. band — a ring
  18. track — a path
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. craft — boats
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. track — to keep track
  24. fine — all right

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