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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: prune · object · staff · safe · court · race · rush · calf

  1. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. rush — hurry
  3. race — a contest
  4. object — to protest
  5. race — the arms race
  6. prune — to trim
  7. object — an aim
  8. court — of law
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. court — of a king
  12. court — for sport
  13. race — humankind
  14. staff — a stick
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. prune — to trim
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. staff — employees
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. staff — employees
  23. object — a thing
  24. safe — out of danger

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