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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: prune · mug · deal · chip · game · ground · cap · trunk

  1. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. deal — to handle
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. cap — of ice
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. cap — a hat
  9. ground — a position
  10. game — a match
  11. ground — crushed
  12. ground — the earth
  13. prune — to trim
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. game — wild animals
  16. mug — a face
  17. cap — a lid
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. chip — for betting
  20. mug — to rob
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. mug — a cup
  23. chip — to eat
  24. deal — a big deal

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