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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: toast · current · row · craft · prune · pound · racket · last

  1. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — the most admired
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. current — of water
  4. prune — to trim
  5. last — finally
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. prune — to trim
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. current — happening now
  12. last — to go on
  13. pound — a weight
  14. row — a line
  15. craft — boats
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. toast — bread
  18. last — final
  19. row — to paddle
  20. craft — a skill
  21. toast — a drink to someone
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. current — electric

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