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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: prune · pass · pitch · nail · pop · object · content · court

  1. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. court — of a king
  5. pop — to visit
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. pass — a permit
  8. pitch — completely
  9. pop — soda
  10. prune — to trim
  11. prune — to trim
  12. object — to protest
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. object — an aim
  15. object — a thing
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. content — the amount
  18. court — for sport
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. court — of law
  22. pop — music
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. content — happy

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