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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: face · pitch · prune · stand · content · rule · fork · lash

  1. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. face — to point toward
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. fork — in a road
  10. content — the amount
  11. face — part of the head
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. pitch — completely
  15. face — to confront
  16. rule — a law
  17. content — happy
  18. rule — government
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. prune — to trim
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. prune — to trim
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. stand — to bear

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