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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 · date · staff · leaves · pop · net · stand · trunk

  1. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. Have you settled on a ________________?
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. present — a gift
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. pop — to visit
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. net — for catching
  9. pop — soda
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. net — after costs
  12. staff — employees
  13. present — the time now
  14. staff — employees
  15. date — the fruit
  16. stand — to bear
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. staff — a stick
  19. net — in sport
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. pop — music
  24. present — there

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