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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: kick · prune · file · bear · mark · game · chip · trunk

  1. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. bear — the animal
  3. prune — to trim
  4. file — a document
  5. mark — a trace
  6. chip — to eat
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. game — wild animals
  10. prune — to trim
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. file — a line of people
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. chip — for betting
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. game — a match
  17. mark — a grade
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. file — a tool
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. kick — in football

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