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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: foot · chip · prune · object · pitch · rest · race · swing

  1. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. prune — to trim
  4. race — a contest
  5. swing — music
  6. prune — to trim
  7. race — the arms race
  8. rest — what's left
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. chip — for betting
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. swing — in golf
  15. foot — a measure
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. object — an aim
  18. object — to protest
  19. swing — to play on
  20. chip — to eat
  21. rest — a break
  22. rest — what's left
  23. pitch — completely
  24. race — humankind

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