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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 120 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: bowl · root · ball · trunk · prune · pitch · net · board

  1. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. prune — to trim
  3. pitch — completely
  4. ball — a dance
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. net — after costs
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. root — of a word
  14. ball — a great time
  15. net — in sport
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. root — the cause
  18. board — to get on
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. root — of a plant
  21. net — for catching
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. board — a committee
  24. prune — to trim

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