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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: current · prune · wound · pop · racket · last · pitch · lean

  1. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. prune — to trim
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. pitch — completely
  5. current — of water
  6. last — final
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. current — electric
  9. current — happening now
  10. lean — to bend
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. last — finally
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. prune — to trim
  15. pop — to visit
  16. pop — soda
  17. wound — an injury
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. lean — thin
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. last — to go on
  22. wound — an injury
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  24. racket — a loud noise

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