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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. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. net — after costs
  4. prune — to trim
  5. suit — in cards
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. sharp — clever
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. mate — a partner
  10. net — for catching
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. deal — to handle
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. net — in sport
  17. chip — to eat
  18. mate — a friend
  19. suit — to fit
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. mate — to breed
  22. prune — to trim
  23. chip — for betting
  24. suit — clothes

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