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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: craft · coach · bore · arm · jam · trunk · track · ground

  1. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. ground — a position
  3. track — a path
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. jam — to spread on bread
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. bore — to tire
  11. jam — a tight spot
  12. craft — a skill
  13. ground — the earth
  14. bore — to drill
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. ground — crushed
  17. track — a song
  18. jam — in traffic
  19. track — to keep track
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. craft — boats

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