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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: prune · last · bat · swing · key · chip · racket · pitch

  1. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. last — to go on
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. prune — to trim
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. chip — to eat
  9. swing — music
  10. key — the most important part
  11. last — final
  12. last — finally
  13. bat — the animal
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. pitch — completely
  16. chip — for betting
  17. swing — to play on
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. prune — to trim
  22. key — in music
  23. swing — in golf
  24. key — for a lock

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