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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: rest · pass · pitcher · pit · racket · charge · prune · date

  1. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. charge — electricity
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. charge — a price
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. rest — what's left
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. charge — in control
  12. rest — a break
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. prune — to trim
  15. prune — to trim
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. pit — in a race
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. pit — a hole
  23. date — the fruit
  24. pass — a permit

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