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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: file · drill · prune · pit · mine · mug · sharp · chip

  1. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. chip — to eat
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. pit — in a race
  7. drill — the tool
  8. mug — a cup
  9. drill — army training
  10. file — a line of people
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. prune — to trim
  13. pit — a hole
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. sharp — clever
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. file — a tool
  18. mine — for digging
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. prune — to trim
  21. chip — for betting
  22. drill — a practice
  23. mug — to rob
  24. mug — a face

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