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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: arm · prune · rock · chip · kid · season · spell · club

  1. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — child
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. club — for dancing
  4. spell — letters
  5. season — of the year
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. spell — magic
  8. chip — for betting
  9. season — in sport
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. rock — music
  12. club — a group
  13. chip — to eat
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. kid — to tease
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. spell — a short time
  19. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  20. rock — a stone
  21. prune — to trim
  22. club — for golf
  23. prune — to trim
  24. arm — a part of something

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