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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 116 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: ground · pop · fork · squash · nail · charge · prune · pitch

  1. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. pitch — completely
  3. charge — a price
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. pop — soda
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. pop — music
  12. prune — to trim
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. squash — the sport
  15. pop — to visit
  16. charge — in control
  17. ground — crushed
  18. squash — to crush
  19. charge — electricity
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. fork — in a road
  22. prune — to trim
  23. nail — for a hammer
  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