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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: race · key · craft · root · cap · prune · pass · stock

  1. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. race — a contest
  3. cap — of ice
  4. key — in music
  5. pass — a permit
  6. key — for a lock
  7. key — the most important part
  8. race — humankind
  9. prune — to trim
  10. root — of a word
  11. root — the cause
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. stock — goods
  14. cap — a lid
  15. craft — a skill
  16. prune — to trim
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. stock — shares
  19. craft — boats
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. cap — a hat
  24. root — of a plant

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