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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 120 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: fine · bulb · prune · mark · chip · pop · rule · degree

  1. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. mark — a grade
  3. pop — to visit
  4. degree — from a university
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. fine — all right
  8. fine — high quality
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. pop — music
  11. pop — soda
  12. rule — a law
  13. prune — to trim
  14. prune — to trim
  15. mark — a trace
  16. bulb — for light
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. chip — for betting
  19. degree — temperature
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. rule — government
  22. bulb — for light
  23. degree — an amount
  24. chip — to eat

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