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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.

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: field · cue · lean · wake · pitch · prune · bowl · track

  1. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. lean — thin
  4. pitch — completely
  5. track — a path
  6. prune — to trim
  7. cue — for pool
  8. field — a subject
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. track — a song
  11. lean — to bend
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. field — farmland
  19. track — to keep track
  20. prune — to trim
  21. cue — a hint
  22. wake — a trail
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. field — for sport

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