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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: can · fan · game · bore · chip · prune · stand · saw

  1. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. saw — the tool
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. can — a tin
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. game — wild animals
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. can — a tin
  12. stand — to bear
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. saw — the tool
  15. prune — to trim
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. bore — to tire
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. chip — to eat
  20. game — a match
  21. prune — to trim
  22. can — to be able to
  23. bore — to drill
  24. chip — for betting

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