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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: prune · foot · pitch · press · field · march · wave · bulb

  1. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. march — the month
  3. prune — to trim
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. field — farmland
  6. prune — to trim
  7. foot — a measure
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. march — music
  10. press — to push
  11. bulb — for light
  12. field — for sport
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. press — a publisher
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. march — the month
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. bulb — for light
  23. field — a subject
  24. press — newspapers

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