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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: stick · fan · prune · shower · roll · chip

  1. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. We're on a ________________ here.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. prune — to trim
  3. roll — a list
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. chip — for betting
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. shower — to wash
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. roll — a cake
  13. prune — to trim
  14. roll — on a roll
  15. chip — to eat
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. shower — rain
  18. fan — a supporter

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