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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: prune · bark · bass · straw · patient · toast · chip · rest

  1. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. chip — for betting
  3. rest — what's left
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. bass — the fish
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. prune — to trim
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. bass — low music
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. bark — to shout
  15. prune — to trim
  16. rest — what's left
  17. rest — a break
  18. toast — the most admired
  19. chip — to eat
  20. toast — bread
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. toast — a drink to someone
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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