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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 · chip · prune · straw · bulb · net · band · pass

  1. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. pass — a permit
  3. bulb — for light
  4. chip — to eat
  5. prune — to trim
  6. chip — for betting
  7. band — a music group
  8. pop — to visit
  9. pop — soda
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. net — after costs
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. pop — music
  16. band — a ring
  17. net — in sport
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. prune — to trim
  23. net — for catching
  24. bulb — for light

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