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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: march · can · trunk · dip · prune · fall · chair · pitch

  1. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. pitch — completely
  5. prune — to trim
  6. march — the month
  7. fall — to drop
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. can — a tin
  11. chair — a leader
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. can — a tin
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. march — the month
  16. fall — to drop
  17. march — music
  18. fall — the season
  19. dip — to sink
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. prune — to trim
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. can — to be able to
  24. chair — a professorship

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