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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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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 · ruler · prune · press · foot · fall · date · vault

  1. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. Have you settled on a ________________?
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. date — the fruit
  4. fall — to drop
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. fall — to drop
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. vault — a safe
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. prune — to trim
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. fall — the season
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. prune — to trim
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. foot — a measure
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. press — to push
  22. press — a publisher
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. press — newspapers

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