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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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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: racket · deal · mate · pitch · rash · bay · prune · lean

  1. Have you found your soul ________________?
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. rash — a series
  5. rash — hasty
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. lean — thin
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. lean — to bend
  10. prune — to trim
  11. prune — to trim
  12. pitch — completely
  13. mate — to breed
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. deal — to handle
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. mate — a friend
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. rash — on the skin

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