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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: chip · chair · bear · squash · key · tube · prune · march

  1. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. prune — to trim
  5. march — the month
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. squash — to crush
  8. tube — the underground
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. key — in music
  13. prune — to trim
  14. bear — the animal
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. bear — the animal
  17. march — the month
  18. chip — to eat
  19. chair — a leader
  20. key — for a lock
  21. squash — the sport
  22. march — music
  23. tube — a container
  24. key — the most important part

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