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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 116 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: stick · rush · prune · race · craft · club · present · game

  1. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. rush — hurry
  3. race — humankind
  4. present — the time now
  5. prune — to trim
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. game — a match
  8. game — wild animals
  9. race — a contest
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. race — the arms race
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. prune — to trim
  15. craft — a skill
  16. present — there
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. craft — boats
  20. club — for golf
  21. club — a group
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. present — a gift
  24. game — a kind of play

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