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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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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: fall · pop · saw · pitch · lean · coach · prune · rash

  1. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. saw — the tool
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. saw — the tool
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. prune — to trim
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. fall — the season
  11. lean — thin
  12. rash — a series
  13. fall — to drop
  14. lean — to bend
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. pop — music
  18. pitch — completely
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. fall — to drop
  21. prune — to trim
  22. pop — soda
  23. rash — hasty
  24. pop — to visit

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