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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.

Make a worksheet

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: content · cap · pop · pitch · lash · mine · prune · mug

  1. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. mug — a face
  3. content — the amount
  4. pop — music
  5. mug — a cup
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. pop — to visit
  9. cap — a hat
  10. pitch — completely
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. mug — to rob
  14. mine — for digging
  15. pop — soda
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. prune — to trim
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. content — happy
  21. cap — of ice
  22. cap — a lid
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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