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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: tear · roll · prune · board · saw · chip · date · chair

  1. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  15. We're on a ________________ here.
  16. Have you settled on a ________________?
  17. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. prune — to trim
  3. tear — from crying
  4. tear — from crying
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. board — to get on
  10. chair — a leader
  11. roll — a cake
  12. date — the fruit
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. roll — a list
  15. roll — on a roll
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. tear — to rip
  18. saw — the tool
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. board — a committee
  21. chip — for betting
  22. prune — to trim
  23. chip — to eat
  24. prune — the fruit

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