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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 116 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: prune · bay · pitch · squash · deal · chip · pop · game

  1. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. deal — to handle
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. squash — to crush
  5. pop — soda
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. pop — music
  8. game — wild animals
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. squash — the sport
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. game — a match
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. chip — for betting
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. prune — to trim
  20. pop — to visit
  21. chip — to eat
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. prune — the fruit
  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