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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. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. bound — certain
  5. bound — tied together
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. cap — of ice
  8. present — there
  9. present — a gift
  10. cap — a lid
  11. march — the month
  12. race — humankind
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. present — the time now
  15. race — the arms race
  16. bound — obliged
  17. branch — a division
  18. craft — boats
  19. prune — to trim
  20. cap — a hat
  21. march — music
  22. march — the month
  23. prune — to trim
  24. race — a contest

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