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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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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: rest · race · capital · prune · kick · fine

  1. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. prune — to trim
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. rest — a break
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. race — a contest
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. fine — high quality
  9. rest — what's left
  10. capital — a big letter
  11. kick — in football
  12. capital — money
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. rest — what's left
  15. fine — all right
  16. prune — to trim
  17. capital — a city
  18. race — humankind

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