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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 116 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 · ground · prune · tube · root · saw · wax · pitcher

  1. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. ground — a position
  4. chip — to eat
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. ground — crushed
  7. chip — for betting
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. root — of a plant
  10. ground — the earth
  11. saw — the tool
  12. prune — to trim
  13. root — of a word
  14. root — the cause
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. wax — to grow
  22. tube — a container
  23. tube — the underground
  24. saw — the 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