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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.

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 · hide · fine · bulb · prune · court · perch · pitcher

  1. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. court — for sport
  3. bulb — for light
  4. court — of a king
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. prune — to trim
  8. court — of law
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. fine — high quality
  12. fine — all right
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. bulb — for light
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. chip — to eat
  21. perch — the fish
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. prune — to trim
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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