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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: pop · craft · row · ground · trunk · staff · pass · tube

  1. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. ground — crushed
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. craft — a skill
  7. pop — soda
  8. row — to paddle
  9. staff — employees
  10. row — a line
  11. tube — the underground
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. ground — a position
  14. pop — music
  15. craft — boats
  16. staff — employees
  17. tube — a container
  18. pass — a permit
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. ground — the earth
  22. staff — a stick
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. trunk — of a tree

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