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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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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 · pitcher · wake · arm · board · prune · jam · saw

  1. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. jam — in traffic
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. prune — to trim
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. board — a committee
  10. pitch — completely
  11. prune — to trim
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. jam — to spread on bread
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. board — to get on
  19. jam — a tight spot
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. saw — the tool
  22. saw — the tool
  23. wake — a trail
  24. pitcher — a jug

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