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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: bear · trunk · date · rush · craft · scale · stand · pop

  1. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. Have you settled on a ________________?
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. stand — to bear
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. scale — in music
  7. date — the fruit
  8. pop — soda
  9. craft — boats
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. bear — the animal
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. craft — a skill
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. bear — the animal
  21. scale — size or range
  22. pop — music
  23. pop — to visit
  24. rush — a thrill

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