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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: pop · chip · pass · field · file · leaves · lie · prune

  1. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. pop — to visit
  5. pop — music
  6. lie — to recline
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. chip — to eat
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. file — a document
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. field — farmland
  14. pass — a permit
  15. prune — to trim
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. field — a subject
  18. file — a line of people
  19. file — a tool
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. field — for sport
  22. prune — to trim
  23. pop — soda
  24. lie — an untruth

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