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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
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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: tube · mine · cabinet · key · prune · chip · season · dip

  1. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. chip — to eat
  4. prune — to trim
  5. key — in music
  6. tube — the underground
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. chip — for betting
  9. mine — for digging
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. prune — to trim
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. tube — a container
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. season — in sport
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. key — the most important part
  23. dip — to sink
  24. key — for a lock

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