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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. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. cap — a lid
  3. land — to come down
  4. chip — for betting
  5. cue — a hint
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. cue — for pool
  8. cue — a signal
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. track — to keep track
  13. land — ground
  14. land — a country
  15. track — a song
  16. prune — to trim
  17. cap — of ice
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. chip — to eat
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. track — a path
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. cap — a hat

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