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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 · safe · race · board · firm · last · craft · can

  1. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. can — a tin
  3. race — a contest
  4. craft — a skill
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. board — to get on
  7. race — the arms race
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. race — humankind
  10. last — to go on
  11. prune — to trim
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. firm — a company
  14. prune — to trim
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. last — finally
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. last — final
  20. can — to be able to
  21. can — a tin
  22. craft — boats
  23. board — a committee
  24. firm — steady

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