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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: present · court · wax · rock · pop · trunk · craft · mine

  1. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. court — for sport
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. craft — boats
  5. present — the time now
  6. present — a gift
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. rock — a stone
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. court — of law
  12. court — of a king
  13. present — there
  14. pop — soda
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. mine — for digging
  18. pop — music
  19. craft — a skill
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. wax — to grow
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. rock — music
  24. mine — belonging to me

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