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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. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. field — for sport
  4. prune — to trim
  5. saw — the tool
  6. chip — for betting
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. root — of a word
  9. field — farmland
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. saw — the tool
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. field — a subject
  15. root — the cause
  16. branch — a division
  17. chip — to eat
  18. prune — to trim
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. season — in sport
  21. season — of the year
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. root — of a plant

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