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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 116 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: pitcher · staff · mug · swing · pitch · last · prune · race

  1. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. mug — a face
  4. prune — to trim
  5. prune — to trim
  6. staff — a stick
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. last — finally
  9. swing — music
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. swing — to play on
  12. pitch — completely
  13. last — to go on
  14. last — final
  15. race — a contest
  16. staff — employees
  17. swing — in golf
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. staff — employees
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. mug — a cup
  23. mug — to rob
  24. race — humankind

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