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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: trunk · wake · club · present · ground · date · bass · pop

  1. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. Have you settled on a ________________?
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. date — the fruit
  2. ground — a position
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. present — the time now
  5. pop — soda
  6. club — a group
  7. club — for golf
  8. present — there
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. wake — a trail
  11. present — a gift
  12. bass — the fish
  13. club — for dancing
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. ground — crushed
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. pop — to visit
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. bass — low music
  22. pop — music
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. ground — the earth

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