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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: bass · chip · stick · last · race · sharp · prune · rock

  1. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. sharp — clever
  3. rock — a stone
  4. race — a contest
  5. rock — music
  6. chip — for betting
  7. last — to go on
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. prune — to trim
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. bass — low music
  15. race — the arms race
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. prune — to trim
  20. race — humankind
  21. chip — to eat
  22. bass — the fish
  23. last — final
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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