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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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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. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. prune — to trim
  3. mug — to rob
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. mug — a cup
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. branch — a division
  8. ground — the earth
  9. prune — to trim
  10. bulb — for light
  11. ground — a position
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. bulb — for light
  14. chip — to eat
  15. fine — all right
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. mug — a face
  18. ground — crushed
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. chip — for betting

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