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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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468
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: saw · chip · cap · pound · net · stand · prune · fine

  1. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. net — for catching
  4. fine — all right
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. cap — a lid
  7. net — in sport
  8. cap — of ice
  9. stand — to bear
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. chip — to eat
  12. cap — a hat
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. net — after costs
  16. chip — for betting
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. saw — the tool
  19. saw — the tool
  20. prune — to trim
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. prune — to trim
  23. pound — a weight
  24. fine — high quality

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