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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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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: last · date · mate · key · craft · prune · charge · stick

  1. False peace will not ________________.
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. Have you settled on a ________________?
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. last — finally
  3. charge — in control
  4. last — final
  5. key — for a lock
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. charge — electricity
  9. key — the most important part
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. craft — boats
  13. charge — a price
  14. mate — a friend
  15. craft — a skill
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. prune — to trim
  19. key — in music
  20. date — the fruit
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. mate — a partner
  23. prune — to trim
  24. mate — to breed

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