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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 120 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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · staff · bowl · mate · bear · cabinet · prune · track

  1. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. prune — to trim
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. mate — a friend
  7. track — a path
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. track — to keep track
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. staff — employees
  12. prune — to trim
  13. mate — a partner
  14. bear — the animal
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. mate — to breed
  17. pitch — completely
  18. staff — employees
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. track — a song
  23. bear — the animal
  24. staff — a stick

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