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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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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: bound · prune · cell · deal · craft · race

  1. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. bound — obliged
  5. cell — in biology
  6. prune — to trim
  7. deal — to handle
  8. bound — certain
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. race — the arms race
  11. prune — to trim
  12. craft — boats
  13. race — a contest
  14. race — humankind
  15. cell — a phone
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. craft — a skill

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