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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. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. track — a song
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. chip — to eat
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. track — a path
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. clip — for paper
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. track — to keep track
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. charge — in control
  15. charge — a price
  16. charge — electricity
  17. branch — a division
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. clip — to cut
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. chip — for betting
  22. prune — to trim
  23. stand — to bear
  24. clip — a video

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