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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. We're on a ________________ here.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. bass — low music
  4. prune — to trim
  5. drill — army training
  6. land — a country
  7. roll — on a roll
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. drill — the tool
  10. roll — a list
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. prune — to trim
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. pitch — completely
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. land — to come down
  17. land — ground
  18. roll — a cake
  19. stand — to bear
  20. drill — a practice
  21. bass — the fish
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. stand — for spectators

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