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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: scale · band · march · craft · prune · firm · suit · stick

  1. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  2. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. march — the month
  3. suit — to fit
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. march — the month
  6. band — a music group
  7. firm — steady
  8. craft — boats
  9. band — a ring
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. march — music
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. firm — a company
  16. craft — a skill
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. suit — in cards
  19. prune — to trim
  20. scale — size or range
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. suit — clothes
  23. firm — decided
  24. scale — in music

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