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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: pitch · spring · bark · safe · chip · prune · rule · rash

  1. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. rash — hasty
  4. rule — a law
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. prune — to trim
  8. prune — to trim
  9. rash — a series
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. spring — of water
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. pitch — completely
  15. spring — a coil
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. chip — to eat
  19. rule — government
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. bark — to shout
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. chip — for betting

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