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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 · cue · wind · trunk · prune · snap · arm · track

  1. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  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. cue — for pool
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. track — to keep track
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. snap — to click
  10. cue — a hint
  11. wind — moving air
  12. pitch — completely
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. track — a path
  15. track — a song
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. wind — to turn a key
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. wind — moving air
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. cue — a signal
  22. prune — to trim
  23. arm — a part of something
  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