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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: pitch · chest · deal · prune · bay · rush · pitcher · calf

  1. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. deal — to handle
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. prune — to trim
  5. prune — to trim
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. pitch — completely
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. chest — of your body
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. rush — hurry
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. chest — a box

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