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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: race · straw · bay · prune · chip · mug · band · fork

  1. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. prune — to trim
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. mug — to rob
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. race — the arms race
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. race — humankind
  14. chip — for betting
  15. fork — in a road
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. race — a contest
  18. mug — a cup
  19. mug — a face
  20. chip — to eat
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. band — a ring
  24. band — a music group

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