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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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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: firm · deal · prune · kick · bore · board · trunk · pitch

  1. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. firm — decided
  4. board — a committee
  5. prune — to trim
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. kick — in football
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. deal — to handle
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. bore — to tire
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. board — to get on
  19. bore — to drill
  20. prune — to trim
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. firm — steady
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. pitch — completely

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