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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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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 · pit · stem · pound · vault · pitch · lean · board

  1. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. lean — to bend
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. board — a committee
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. pound — a weight
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. pit — a hole
  11. board — to get on
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. prune — to trim
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. prune — to trim
  16. stem — to come from
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. pitch — completely
  19. vault — a safe
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. pit — in a race
  22. lean — thin
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. pound — to hit hard

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