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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: pitch · swing · prune · deal · squash · rock · bear · chip

  1. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. bear — the animal
  3. chip — for betting
  4. swing — in golf
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. deal — to handle
  10. swing — to play on
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. rock — music
  13. rock — a stone
  14. squash — the sport
  15. squash — to crush
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. swing — music
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. pitch — completely
  21. prune — to trim
  22. chip — to eat
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. bear — the animal

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