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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: race · pass · bat · calf · staff · present · prune · pitch

  1. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. pass — a permit
  3. prune — to trim
  4. staff — employees
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. race — the arms race
  7. present — a gift
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. bat — in an idiom
  10. race — humankind
  11. race — a contest
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. staff — employees
  17. prune — to trim
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. present — the time now
  20. bat — the animal
  21. bat — for baseball
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. pitch — completely
  24. staff — a stick

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