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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: chip · saw · rule · prune · current · arm · firm · dip

  1. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. current — of water
  3. current — electric
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. prune — to trim
  6. rule — a law
  7. chip — to eat
  8. saw — the tool
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. firm — decided
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. saw — the tool
  15. current — happening now
  16. prune — to trim
  17. firm — steady
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. chip — for betting
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. rule — government
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. dip — to sink
  24. prune — the fruit

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