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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 116 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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. prune — to trim
  3. rest — a break
  4. craft — a skill
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. rest — what's left
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. pound — a weight
  10. rest — what's left
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. prune — to trim
  15. craft — boats
  16. race — a contest
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. race — the arms race
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. present — a gift
  22. present — there
  23. race — humankind
  24. nail — for a hammer

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