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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: clip · bowl · chip · rush · pitch · fork · prune · stand

  1. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. clip — for paper
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. prune — to trim
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. fork — in a road
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. pitch — completely
  11. rush — hurry
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. chip — to eat
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. clip — a video
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. chip — for betting
  19. clip — to cut
  20. stand — to bear
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. prune — to trim
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. prune — the fruit

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