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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. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. prune — to trim
  3. land — ground
  4. staff — employees
  5. present — a gift
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. land — a country
  9. chip — for betting
  10. staff — a stick
  11. present — there
  12. staff — employees
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. land — to come down
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. chip — to eat
  18. pound — a weight
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. kick — in football
  22. prune — to trim
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. present — the time now

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