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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: safe · pitch · stem · chair · prune · row · bark · pit

  1. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. pitch — completely
  4. chair — a leader
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. stem — to come from
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. pit — a hole
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. bark — to shout
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. row — to paddle
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. pit — in a race
  20. prune — to trim
  21. prune — to trim
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. safe — a strongbox

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