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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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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: kid · cue · prune · chip · chair · hand · perch · trunk

  1. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. perch — the fish
  5. chip — to eat
  6. hand — help
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. kid — to tease
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. cue — a hint
  13. prune — to trim
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  16. cue — a signal
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. kid — child
  20. chip — for betting
  21. prune — to trim
  22. hand — in cards
  23. cue — for pool
  24. chair — a leader

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