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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: prune · pass · sharp · toast · cap · chip · stock · bat

  1. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  17. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. bat — the animal
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. stock — goods
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. prune — to trim
  8. toast — bread
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. bat — in an idiom
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. prune — to trim
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. toast — a drink to someone
  17. toast — the most admired
  18. chip — to eat
  19. cap — of ice
  20. cap — a lid
  21. stock — shares
  22. sharp — clever
  23. chip — for betting
  24. pass — a permit

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