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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: last · prune · pit · bore · bay · game · bat · suit

  1. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. suit — in cards
  4. pit — a hole
  5. suit — to fit
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. game — wild animals
  9. bat — in an idiom
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. bat — the animal
  13. bore — to tire
  14. pit — in a race
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. last — finally
  17. last — to go on
  18. suit — clothes
  19. last — final
  20. game — a match
  21. bore — to drill
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. prune — to trim
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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