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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: chip · prune · present · swing · ruler · file · band · bound

  1. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. chip — to eat
  3. bound — tied together
  4. file — a line of people
  5. swing — music
  6. prune — to trim
  7. band — a ring
  8. swing — to play on
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. present — a gift
  14. prune — to trim
  15. bound — obliged
  16. file — a document
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. present — the time now
  20. bound — certain
  21. band — a music group
  22. chip — for betting
  23. file — a tool
  24. present — there

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