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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: rule · dip · track · capital · prune · net · pitch · bear

  1. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. capital — a big letter
  6. net — for catching
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. net — in sport
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. rule — government
  11. capital — a city
  12. prune — to trim
  13. net — after costs
  14. bear — the animal
  15. track — a song
  16. track — to keep track
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. bear — the animal
  19. track — a path
  20. rule — a law
  21. capital — money
  22. prune — to trim
  23. pitch — completely
  24. dip — to sink

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