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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 116 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: row · wave · march · staff · fine · trunk · pit · present

  1. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. present — there
  6. staff — a stick
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. staff — employees
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. present — a gift
  11. pit — a hole
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. march — the month
  15. fine — high quality
  16. fine — all right
  17. march — the month
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. row — a line
  20. staff — employees
  21. row — to paddle
  22. pit — in a race
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. march — music

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