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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
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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 · leaves · fork · mine · chip · pitcher · patient · snap

  1. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. snap — to click
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. fork — in a road
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. prune — to trim
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. mine — for digging
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. prune — to trim
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. chip — for betting
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. chip — to eat

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