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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 · stand · bear · deal · prune · arm · bark · kid

  1. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. bark — to shout
  3. prune — to trim
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. deal — to handle
  12. kid — child
  13. kid — to tease
  14. bear — the animal
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. chip — for betting
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. stand — to bear
  19. bear — the animal
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. chip — to eat
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. prune — to trim

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