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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: last · chip · prune · firm · ruler · date · chair · wound

  1. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. Have you settled on a ________________?
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. wound — an injury
  4. last — finally
  5. firm — a company
  6. chair — a leader
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. chip — to eat
  9. prune — to trim
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. firm — steady
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. wound — an injury
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. prune — to trim
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. last — to go on
  22. date — the fruit
  23. last — final
  24. firm — decided

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