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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: dip · mug · ground · prune · chip · file · kick · ruler

  1. There's no middle ________________.
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. file — a tool
  3. chip — for betting
  4. dip — to sink
  5. prune — to trim
  6. prune — to trim
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. ground — the earth
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. kick — in football
  11. mug — a face
  12. mug — a cup
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. mug — to rob
  15. file — a document
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. chip — to eat
  21. file — a line of people
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. ground — crushed
  24. chip — in a computer

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