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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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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: swing · deal · march · prune · stem · race · rock · safe

  1. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. prune — to trim
  3. march — music
  4. march — the month
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. prune — to trim
  7. race — the arms race
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. swing — in golf
  12. stem — to come from
  13. rock — a stone
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. rock — music
  16. swing — to play on
  17. deal — to handle
  18. race — a contest
  19. swing — music
  20. march — the month
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. race — humankind
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. safe — a strongbox

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