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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. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. plane — a tool
  4. cap — of ice
  5. firm — steady
  6. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  7. cap — a hat
  8. prune — to trim
  9. foot — a measure
  10. chip — for betting
  11. chip — to eat
  12. march — the month
  13. firm — decided
  14. kid — child
  15. cap — a lid
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. march — music
  18. firm — a company
  19. march — the month
  20. kid — to tease
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. prune — to trim
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. foot — part of the body

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