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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: prune · charge · saw · bear · pitch · bound · ball · ground

  1. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. bear — the animal
  3. saw — the tool
  4. ground — the earth
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. bound — obliged
  7. charge — a price
  8. saw — the tool
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. prune — to trim
  11. bound — certain
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. pitch — completely
  14. bound — tied together
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. ground — crushed
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. charge — in control
  19. ball — a great time
  20. ball — a dance
  21. bear — the animal
  22. prune — to trim
  23. charge — electricity
  24. ground — a position

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