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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: date · prune · race · chip · ball · firm · pitch · rest

  1. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. Have you settled on a ________________?
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. race — the arms race
  5. chip — for betting
  6. rest — what's left
  7. prune — to trim
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. firm — steady
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. ball — a dance
  14. firm — decided
  15. rest — a break
  16. race — humankind
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. pitch — completely
  19. race — a contest
  20. prune — to trim
  21. firm — a company
  22. date — the fruit
  23. chip — to eat
  24. ball — a great time

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