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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 120 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. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. bear — the animal
  3. bear — the animal
  4. file — a document
  5. rest — what's left
  6. chip — for betting
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. file — a tool
  11. chip — to eat
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. file — a line of people
  14. fork — in a road
  15. prune — to trim
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. firm — decided
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. rest — a break
  20. firm — steady
  21. rest — what's left
  22. firm — a company
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. nail — for a hammer

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