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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.

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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: race · object · perch · prune · foot · bark · craft · stock

  1. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. foot — a measure
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. craft — a skill
  5. stock — goods
  6. bark — to shout
  7. craft — boats
  8. race — the arms race
  9. object — an aim
  10. object — a thing
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. perch — the fish
  17. stock — shares
  18. prune — to trim
  19. race — a contest
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. prune — to trim
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. object — to protest

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