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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 116 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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Word bank
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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: pitch · sharp · ground · bank · bark · ball · bulb · prune

  1. There's no middle ________________.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  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. ground — a position
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. ground — crushed
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. bulb — for light
  7. bulb — for light
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. pitch — completely
  10. ground — the earth
  11. prune — to trim
  12. ball — a dance
  13. bank — of a river
  14. bank — for money
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. ball — a great time
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. bark — to shout
  21. bank — for money
  22. sharp — clever
  23. bulb — of a plant
  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