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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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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: rock · foot · pitch · wake · land · cap · mark · prune

  1. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  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. foot — the bottom
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. rock — a stone
  5. land — to come down
  6. rock — music
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. foot — a measure
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. wake — a trail
  12. pitch — completely
  13. prune — to trim
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. cap — a hat
  16. mark — a trace
  17. mark — a grade
  18. cap — a lid
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. land — a country
  21. cap — of ice
  22. land — ground
  23. prune — to trim
  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