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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.

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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 · prune · board · deal · craft · bank · season · last

  1. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. last — to go on
  5. bank — of a river
  6. rock — a stone
  7. season — of the year
  8. craft — a skill
  9. board — to get on
  10. craft — boats
  11. last — final
  12. bank — for money
  13. deal — to handle
  14. rock — music
  15. prune — to trim
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. bank — for money
  19. prune — to trim
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. last — finally
  22. season — in sport
  23. board — a committee
  24. deal — a big deal

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