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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: mark · stick · march · pit · chip · last · prune · racket

  1. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  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. racket — a loud noise
  2. chip — to eat
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. last — final
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. last — to go on
  8. mark — a trace
  9. mark — a grade
  10. pit — a hole
  11. march — the month
  12. march — music
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. prune — to trim
  15. chip — for betting
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. last — finally
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. prune — to trim
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. march — the month
  23. pit — in a race
  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