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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: tube · rule · chip · staff · fan · sharp · prune · cap

  1. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  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. prune — to trim
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. chip — to eat
  4. sharp — clever
  5. chip — for betting
  6. staff — employees
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. tube — a container
  9. rule — a law
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. cap — of ice
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. cap — a hat
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. rule — government
  19. tube — the underground
  20. prune — to trim
  21. staff — employees
  22. cap — a lid
  23. staff — a stick
  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