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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: arm · bass · prune · chip · bark · saw · cap · board

  1. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. saw — the tool
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. chip — to eat
  8. board — a committee
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. cap — a lid
  11. cap — a hat
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. bass — low music
  15. bark — to shout
  16. cap — of ice
  17. saw — the tool
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. prune — to trim
  20. board — to get on
  21. bass — the fish
  22. prune — to trim
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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