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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. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  4. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. cell — in biology
  4. cell — a phone
  5. rash — a series
  6. pop — music
  7. squash — to crush
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. squash — the sport
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. shower — rain
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. pop — to visit
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. pop — soda
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. pound — a weight
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. prune — to trim
  20. pitch — completely
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. shower — to wash
  23. rash — hasty
  24. prune — to trim

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