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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: prune · firm · rock · kid · chip · fork · net · degree

  1. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  22. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. firm — decided
  3. degree — an amount
  4. rock — a stone
  5. kid — to tease
  6. chip — to eat
  7. net — in sport
  8. kid — child
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. prune — to trim
  11. prune — to trim
  12. fork — in a road
  13. rock — music
  14. firm — steady
  15. net — for catching
  16. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  17. net — after costs
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. firm — a company
  21. degree — temperature
  22. degree — from a university
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. fork — to eat with

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