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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: root · bore · can · bowl · march · prune · ball · pitch

  1. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. can — to be able to
  3. bore — to drill
  4. can — a tin
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. prune — to trim
  8. root — of a word
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. march — the month
  11. march — music
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. march — the month
  14. prune — to trim
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. root — of a plant
  17. bore — to tire
  18. ball — a dance
  19. pitch — completely
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. can — a tin
  22. root — the cause
  23. ball — a great time
  24. ball — a round shape

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