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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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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: wake · racket · arm · bat · pitcher · chair · chip · prune

  1. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. prune — to trim
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. chip — for betting
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. prune — to trim
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. bat — the animal
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. chip — to eat
  16. chair — a leader
  17. wake — a trail
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. bat — in an idiom
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. bat — for baseball
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. pitcher — a jug

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