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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.

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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: club · cue · pitch · land · prune · mark · foot · object

  1. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. cue — a signal
  4. object — an aim
  5. club — a group
  6. mark — a trace
  7. club — for golf
  8. object — to protest
  9. cue — for pool
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. land — a country
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. land — ground
  15. prune — to trim
  16. club — for dancing
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. cue — a hint
  20. land — to come down
  21. prune — to trim
  22. pitch — completely
  23. foot — a measure
  24. object — a thing

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