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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: object · game · prune · fall · race · march · fan · staff

  1. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  2. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. race — a contest
  2. march — the month
  3. prune — to trim
  4. march — the month
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. race — the arms race
  7. march — music
  8. staff — employees
  9. fall — to drop
  10. object — an aim
  11. staff — a stick
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. object — to protest
  14. game — wild animals
  15. fall — to drop
  16. object — a thing
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. fall — the season
  20. game — a match
  21. race — humankind
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. prune — to trim
  24. staff — employees

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