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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: chip · plane · wound · degree · arm · mug · capital · prune

  1. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. prune — to trim
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. wound — an injury
  5. prune — to trim
  6. mug — to rob
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. degree — temperature
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. capital — money
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. mug — a cup
  14. chip — for betting
  15. wound — an injury
  16. degree — an amount
  17. plane — a tool
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. capital — a city
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. degree — from a university
  22. mug — a face
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  24. chip — to eat

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