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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: band · fan · present · chip · prune · board · kid · plane

  1. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. board — to get on
  3. kid — child
  4. prune — to trim
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. band — a music group
  7. chip — to eat
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. kid — to tease
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. plane — a tool
  15. present — the time now
  16. band — a ring
  17. present — there
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. board — a committee
  20. chip — for betting
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. prune — to trim
  24. present — a gift

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