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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: rock · pound · mine · ground · pit · craft · trunk · prune

  1. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. rock — a stone
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. mine — for digging
  5. prune — to trim
  6. craft — a skill
  7. pound — a weight
  8. ground — the earth
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. ground — a position
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. prune — to trim
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. ground — crushed
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. pit — a hole
  20. pit — in a race
  21. craft — boats
  22. rock — music
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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