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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: swing · present · row · toast · file · prune · leaves · chip

  1. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  21. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  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. chip — for betting
  2. toast — a drink to someone
  3. file — a tool
  4. file — a document
  5. present — there
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. file — a line of people
  8. swing — to play on
  9. chip — to eat
  10. swing — in golf
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. present — a gift
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. prune — to trim
  17. swing — music
  18. prune — to trim
  19. row — to paddle
  20. toast — the most admired
  21. toast — bread
  22. present — the time now
  23. row — a line
  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