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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 120 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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. bark — to shout
  3. prune — to trim
  4. key — for a lock
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. race — a contest
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. key — in music
  10. craft — a skill
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. race — humankind
  13. wound — an injury
  14. rest — what's left
  15. craft — boats
  16. key — the most important part
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. prune — to trim
  19. wound — an injury
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. race — the arms race
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. rest — a break
  24. rest — what's left

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