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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · fall · mug · track · pass · racket · pitcher

  1. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. prune — to trim
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. fall — the season
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. track — to keep track
  9. mug — a cup
  10. prune — to trim
  11. mug — a face
  12. track — a song
  13. pass — a permit
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. track — a path
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. mug — to rob
  20. fall — to drop
  21. chip — to eat
  22. fall — to drop
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. racket — a loud noise

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