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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. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. chip — to eat
  5. branch — a division
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. clip — for paper
  8. chip — for betting
  9. current — electric
  10. pop — to visit
  11. current — happening now
  12. pop — music
  13. prune — to trim
  14. clip — to cut
  15. pop — soda
  16. prune — to trim
  17. current — of water
  18. season — in sport
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. clip — a video
  21. season — of the year
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. chip — in a computer

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