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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: chip · prune · net · bore · hand · fan · stand · jam

  1. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. jam — in traffic
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. hand — in cards
  5. bore — to drill
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. net — for catching
  9. prune — to trim
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. prune — to trim
  12. net — after costs
  13. hand — help
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. bore — to tire
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. net — in sport
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. jam — to spread on bread
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. chip — to eat
  24. stand — to bear

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