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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: mug · racket · prune · pitch · fan · sharp · bark · staff

  1. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. pitch — completely
  3. mug — a face
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. staff — a stick
  6. sharp — clever
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. mug — a cup
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. bark — to shout
  13. staff — employees
  14. mug — to rob
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. staff — employees
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. prune — to trim
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. racket — for tennis
  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