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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: pop · snap · fine · prune · chip · bass · rest · cabinet

  1. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. pop — soda
  4. snap — to click
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. chip — for betting
  7. chip — to eat
  8. bass — low music
  9. fine — high quality
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. prune — to trim
  12. rest — what's left
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. fine — all right
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. prune — to trim
  19. bass — the fish
  20. rest — what's left
  21. rest — a break
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. pop — to visit
  24. pop — music

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