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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: rush · kick · ground · net · bear · pitch · prune · can

  1. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. bear — the animal
  4. can — a tin
  5. can — a tin
  6. net — after costs
  7. pitch — completely
  8. net — for catching
  9. bear — the animal
  10. prune — to trim
  11. prune — to trim
  12. kick — in football
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. ground — a position
  15. rush — hurry
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. net — in sport
  18. can — to be able to
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. ground — crushed
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. rush — to hurry

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