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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.

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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 · bay · season · fork · saw · bass · chip · calf

  1. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. season — of the year
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. saw — the tool
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. chip — to eat
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. fork — in a road
  12. season — in sport
  13. bass — the fish
  14. chip — for betting
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. prune — to trim
  21. bass — low music
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. saw — the tool
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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