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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: chip · bass · suit · pitch · content · prune · race · firm

  1. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. prune — to trim
  4. bass — low music
  5. suit — to fit
  6. pitch — completely
  7. suit — clothes
  8. chip — to eat
  9. chip — for betting
  10. firm — decided
  11. firm — steady
  12. firm — a company
  13. bass — the fish
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. race — humankind
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. race — the arms race
  19. race — a contest
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. content — happy
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. content — the amount
  24. prune — to trim

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