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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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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: pitcher · prune · chip · wave · board · saw · season · fan

  1. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. chip — for betting
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. prune — to trim
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. season — of the year
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. saw — the tool
  15. board — a committee
  16. chip — to eat
  17. saw — the tool
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. board — to get on
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. season — in sport
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. fan — a supporter

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