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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 116 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. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. pop — soda
  3. fine — all right
  4. hand — help
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. pop — music
  7. chip — for betting
  8. ground — crushed
  9. prune — to trim
  10. ground — a position
  11. ground — the earth
  12. saw — the tool
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. hand — in cards
  16. fine — high quality
  17. season — of the year
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. pop — to visit
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. prune — to trim
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. season — in sport
  24. chip — to eat

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