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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. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. chip — for betting
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. can — a tin
  5. land — to come down
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. rest — what's left
  9. prune — to trim
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. land — ground
  13. land — a country
  14. can — to be able to
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. rest — a break
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. chip — to eat
  19. can — a tin
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. branch — a division
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. rest — what's left
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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