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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 120 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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: chip · fine · bark · calf · swing · mouse · hand · prune

  1. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. hand — help
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. bark — to shout
  7. prune — to trim
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. hand — in cards
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. chip — for betting
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. prune — to trim
  17. swing — to play on
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. swing — music
  20. chip — to eat
  21. fine — high quality
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. swing — in golf

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