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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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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: nail · tube · racket · season · arm · spell · chip · prune

  1. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. chip — to eat
  3. season — in sport
  4. prune — to trim
  5. season — of the year
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. spell — magic
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. chip — for betting
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. spell — a short time
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. spell — letters
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. tube — the underground
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. tube — a container
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. prune — to trim
  24. nail — for a hammer

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