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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.

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: deal · pitch · prune · rock · bulb · file · object · trunk

  1. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. bulb — for light
  5. object — to protest
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. prune — to trim
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. file — a tool
  10. prune — to trim
  11. file — a line of people
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. object — an aim
  15. pitch — completely
  16. object — a thing
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. rock — music
  20. file — a document
  21. bulb — for light
  22. rock — a stone
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. deal — to handle

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