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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. chip — for betting
  3. object — an aim
  4. chip — to eat
  5. object — a thing
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. squash — to crush
  10. mark — a grade
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. prune — to trim
  13. stem — to come from
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. mark — a trace
  16. object — to protest
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. squash — the sport

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