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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: pit · chip · game · mouse · rest · prune · suit · bear

  1. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. rest — what's left
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. chip — for betting
  6. rest — a break
  7. pit — a hole
  8. suit — in cards
  9. suit — clothes
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. bear — the animal
  12. game — wild animals
  13. prune — to trim
  14. prune — to trim
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. suit — to fit
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. rest — what's left
  21. pit — in a race
  22. bear — the animal
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. game — a match

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