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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: prune · rash · rest · dip · track · chip · deal · staff

  1. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. prune — to trim
  3. staff — employees
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. track — a path
  6. rash — a series
  7. staff — a stick
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. deal — to handle
  10. staff — employees
  11. dip — to sink
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. rest — a break
  14. rest — what's left
  15. prune — to trim
  16. track — a song
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. rest — what's left
  19. chip — for betting
  20. chip — to eat
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. track — to keep track

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