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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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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: object · ground · bass · trunk · rest · deal · craft · pound

  1. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. rest — a break
  3. object — an aim
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. object — a thing
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. craft — boats
  8. pound — a weight
  9. rest — what's left
  10. bass — low music
  11. ground — a position
  12. rest — what's left
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. ground — crushed
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. ground — the earth
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. bass — the fish
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. craft — a skill
  22. deal — to handle
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. object — to protest

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