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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: ground · trunk · lean · bay · bear · craft · fork · track

  1. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. lean — to bend
  3. track — a song
  4. fork — in a road
  5. bear — the animal
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. lean — thin
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. track — to keep track
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. track — a path
  16. ground — a position
  17. bear — the animal
  18. ground — the earth
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. craft — a skill
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. ground — crushed
  24. craft — a handicraft

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