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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
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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: pitch · perch · current · present · prune · date · ground · ball

  1. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. Have you settled on a ________________?
  9. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  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. perch — for a bird
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. current — electric
  4. ground — a position
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. ball — a great time
  7. ball — a dance
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. present — there
  11. ground — crushed
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. current — of water
  14. present — a gift
  15. present — the time now
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. pitch — completely
  18. current — happening now
  19. ground — the earth
  20. date — the fruit
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. prune — to trim
  23. perch — the fish
  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