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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: prune · chip · pass · rash · ruler · chair · ball · racket

  1. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. ball — a dance
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. prune — to trim
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. chip — to eat
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. rash — hasty
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. ball — a great time
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. chair — a leader
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. prune — to trim
  22. chip — for betting
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. rash — a series

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