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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 room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. pitch — completely
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. field — farmland
  5. club — a group
  6. prune — to trim
  7. prune — to trim
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. club — for golf
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. field — for sport
  16. rush — hurry
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. field — a subject
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. club — for dancing

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