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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 · present · pop · fine · cap · craft · can · wound

  1. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. cap — of ice
  3. cap — a lid
  4. cap — a hat
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. present — the time now
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. can — a tin
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. wound — an injury
  11. fine — all right
  12. pop — soda
  13. present — there
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. present — a gift
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. craft — boats
  18. wound — an injury
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. pop — to visit
  21. fine — high quality
  22. can — to be able to
  23. craft — a skill
  24. can — a tin

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