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

Word bank: stick · fan · bass · fork · prune · stand · bowl · chip

  1. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. chip — for betting
  8. chip — to eat
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. prune — to trim
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. bass — the fish
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. fork — in a road
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. bass — low music
  21. stand — to bear
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. prune — to trim

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