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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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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: bear · craft · rash · pass · trunk · branch · club · pound

  1. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. pound — a weight
  3. bear — the animal
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. club — a group
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. craft — a skill
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. craft — boats
  10. club — for golf
  11. club — for dancing
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. rash — hasty
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. rash — a series
  17. bear — the animal
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. branch — a division
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. rash — on the skin

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