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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: race · key · branch · craft · can · trunk · root · stand

  1. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. can — to be able to
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. craft — boats
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. race — the arms race
  7. can — a tin
  8. root — of a word
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. can — a tin
  11. root — of a plant
  12. race — a contest
  13. stand — to bear
  14. key — the most important part
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. key — in music
  17. key — for a lock
  18. root — the cause
  19. craft — a skill
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. branch — a division
  22. race — humankind
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. stand — on your feet

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