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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 120 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: rock · march · race · last · craft · object · prune · deal

  1. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. last — to go on
  4. march — the month
  5. object — an aim
  6. march — music
  7. deal — to handle
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. last — finally
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. race — humankind
  12. prune — to trim
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. march — the month
  15. craft — a skill
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. race — the arms race
  18. craft — boats
  19. object — to protest
  20. prune — to trim
  21. rock — music
  22. race — a contest
  23. object — a thing
  24. last — final

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