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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: chip · mine · craft · prune · date · toast · hide · swing

  1. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. Have you settled on a ________________?
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. chip — for betting
  3. toast — the most admired
  4. craft — a skill
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. mine — for digging
  7. toast — bread
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. toast — a drink to someone
  11. swing — music
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. swing — to play on
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. date — the fruit
  16. craft — boats
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. swing — in golf
  20. prune — to trim
  21. chip — to eat
  22. prune — to trim
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. hide — to keep secret

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