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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: squash · stand · bore · degree · fine · straw · prune · chip

  1. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. fine — all right
  4. stand — to bear
  5. fine — high quality
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. chip — to eat
  9. degree — an amount
  10. degree — from a university
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. bore — to tire
  13. degree — temperature
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. bore — to drill
  16. squash — to crush
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. chip — for betting
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. squash — the sport
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. prune — to trim
  24. straw — a straw man

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