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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 116 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: bank · deal · mine · mark · current · prune · pop · chip

  1. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. current — happening now
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. mark — a trace
  5. prune — to trim
  6. chip — for betting
  7. deal — to handle
  8. current — of water
  9. current — electric
  10. pop — soda
  11. pop — music
  12. pop — to visit
  13. bank — of a river
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. chip — to eat
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. prune — to trim
  20. bank — for money
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. mine — for digging
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. bank — for money

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