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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. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. bass — the fish
  4. tear — from crying
  5. prune — to trim
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. chip — for betting
  8. firm — steady
  9. chip — to eat
  10. tear — from crying
  11. cue — a signal
  12. bass — low music
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. cue — for pool
  17. firm — a company
  18. saw — the tool
  19. prune — to trim
  20. firm — decided
  21. saw — the tool
  22. vault — a safe
  23. tear — to rip
  24. cue — a hint

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