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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: lash · mine · bore · pitch · prune · bass · capital · jam

  1. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  3. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. jam — a tight spot
  3. capital — money
  4. bore — to tire
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. prune — to trim
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. jam — in traffic
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. bass — low music
  15. pitch — completely
  16. bore — to drill
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. mine — for digging
  20. bass — the fish
  21. capital — a city
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. prune — to trim
  24. mine — an explosive

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