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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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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 · racket · squash · file · prune · chair · board · bulb

  1. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. pitch — completely
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. board — to get on
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. squash — to crush
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. file — a tool
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. file — a document
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. chair — a leader
  15. bulb — for light
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. squash — the sport
  19. file — a line of people
  20. prune — to trim
  21. bulb — for light
  22. prune — to trim
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. chair — a professorship

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