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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: row · pitch · fall · pitcher · pound · pop · temple · prune

  1. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. pop — soda
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. pitch — completely
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. row — to paddle
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. fall — the season
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. row — a line
  16. fall — to drop
  17. prune — to trim
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. pound — a weight
  20. fall — to drop
  21. pop — music
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. pop — to visit
  24. prune — to trim

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