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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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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 · pass · pound · net · prune · tear · saw · board

  1. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  15. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. tear — to rip
  4. board — a committee
  5. net — after costs
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. pound — a weight
  9. pass — a permit
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. saw — the tool
  12. net — in sport
  13. saw — the tool
  14. tear — from crying
  15. tear — from crying
  16. chip — to eat
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. chip — for betting
  19. prune — to trim
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. prune — to trim
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. net — for catching

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