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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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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: bark · prune · chip · bear · clip · fan · bore · mug

  1. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. Hold the papers together with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. mug — a face
  4. prune — to trim
  5. bark — to shout
  6. bear — the animal
  7. prune — to trim
  8. chip — to eat
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. clip — to cut
  11. bore — to tire
  12. mug — to rob
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. clip — a video
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. mug — a cup
  17. bore — to drill
  18. bear — the animal
  19. chip — for betting
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. clip — for paper

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