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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 116 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: prune · current · mug · key · season · cold · chip · pass

  1. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. The water is too ________________.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. cold — the Cold War
  3. current — of water
  4. pass — a permit
  5. key — the most important part
  6. key — for a lock
  7. current — happening now
  8. season — in sport
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. prune — to trim
  11. mug — a face
  12. season — of the year
  13. mug — to rob
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. cold — not warm
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. chip — to eat
  18. key — in music
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. prune — to trim
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. current — electric
  23. cold — an illness
  24. mug — a cup

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