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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.

Words on the sheet
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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 · rash · net · drill · trunk · pit · bark

  1. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. drill — the tool
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. net — after costs
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. bark — to shout
  10. pop — music
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. craft — boats
  13. pit — in a race
  14. pop — soda
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. pit — a hole
  18. net — for catching
  19. net — in sport
  20. rash — a series
  21. drill — army training
  22. drill — a practice
  23. rash — hasty
  24. craft — a skill

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