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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. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. rule — a law
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. snap — to click
  8. pop — music
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. chip — for betting
  11. prune — to trim
  12. club — for dancing
  13. pop — to visit
  14. club — for golf
  15. squash — the sport
  16. rule — government
  17. branch — a division
  18. chip — to eat
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. squash — to crush
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. pop — soda
  24. club — a group

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