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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.

Words on the sheet
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: prune · squash · mine · club · key · chip · net · perch

  1. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. club — for golf
  6. net — after costs
  7. perch — the fish
  8. squash — the sport
  9. mine — for digging
  10. chip — for betting
  11. chip — to eat
  12. squash — to crush
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. club — for dancing
  16. club — a group
  17. prune — to trim
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. key — for a lock
  21. prune — to trim
  22. key — the most important part
  23. net — in sport
  24. net — for catching

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