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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: current · cold · pitch · prune · toast · firm · staff · bore

  1. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. The water is too ________________.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  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. prune — to trim
  2. toast — a drink to someone
  3. firm — decided
  4. current — happening now
  5. staff — employees
  6. bore — to tire
  7. bore — to drill
  8. cold — an illness
  9. toast — bread
  10. cold — the Cold War
  11. staff — employees
  12. staff — a stick
  13. firm — a company
  14. current — electric
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. current — of water
  18. toast — the most admired
  19. pitch — completely
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. cold — not warm
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. firm — steady
  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