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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.

Words on the sheet
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: mine · fine · fork · chip · fan · file · scale · prune

  1. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. prune — to trim
  3. chip — for betting
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. scale — size or range
  7. prune — to trim
  8. chip — to eat
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. file — a line of people
  12. fine — high quality
  13. file — a document
  14. fork — in a road
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. mine — for digging
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. scale — in music
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. file — a tool
  23. fine — all right
  24. fork — a garden tool

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