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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: mug · mouse · suit · chip · prune · shower · file · pop

  1. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. suit — to fit
  3. prune — to trim
  4. file — a document
  5. mug — a face
  6. pop — soda
  7. pop — music
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. chip — for betting
  10. mug — to rob
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. shower — rain
  13. chip — to eat
  14. file — a tool
  15. prune — to trim
  16. suit — in cards
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. file — a line of people
  21. shower — to wash
  22. pop — to visit
  23. mug — a cup
  24. suit — clothes

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