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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: pitch · court · bulb · kid · date · cue · prune · bank

  1. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. Have you settled on a ________________?
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  16. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. cue — for pool
  5. prune — to trim
  6. bulb — for light
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. bank — for money
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. kid — to tease
  11. court — of law
  12. bank — for money
  13. bank — of a river
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. date — the fruit
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. pitch — completely
  18. prune — to trim
  19. kid — child
  20. cue — a signal
  21. court — for sport
  22. cue — a hint
  23. court — of a king
  24. bulb — for light

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