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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: cabinet · clip · prune · date · chip · march · can · cue

  1. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. Have you settled on a ________________?
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  13. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. chip — to eat
  3. march — the month
  4. clip — to cut
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. can — a tin
  7. prune — to trim
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. chip — for betting
  10. march — music
  11. cue — a signal
  12. clip — for paper
  13. date — the fruit
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. can — to be able to
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. cue — a hint
  18. march — the month
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. clip — a video
  22. cue — for pool
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. can — a tin

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