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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 120 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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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: fork · tear · lean · foot · prune · craft · pitch · chip

  1. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. tear — to rip
  3. chip — to eat
  4. lean — thin
  5. tear — from crying
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. prune — to trim
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. tear — from crying
  12. lean — to bend
  13. craft — boats
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. craft — a skill
  20. prune — to trim
  21. pitch — completely
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. foot — a measure
  24. fork — in a road

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