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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. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. snap — to click
  3. band — a music group
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. firm — a company
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. firm — decided
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. prune — to trim
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. prune — to trim
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. sharp — clever
  14. chip — for betting
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. firm — steady
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. fork — in a road
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. band — a ring
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. mouse — the animal

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