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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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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: pop · fork · chip · bear · prune · lean · root · cap

  1. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. prune — to trim
  3. chip — to eat
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. root — of a word
  6. pop — to visit
  7. lean — to bend
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. prune — to trim
  11. cap — a lid
  12. pop — soda
  13. lean — thin
  14. pop — music
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. root — of a plant
  17. cap — a hat
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. bear — the animal
  20. chip — for betting
  21. cap — of ice
  22. root — the cause
  23. bear — the animal
  24. fork — in a road

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