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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: safe · pound · pitch · season · clip · cue · prune · current

  1. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. cue — for pool
  4. current — happening now
  5. clip — to cut
  6. current — electric
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. prune — to trim
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. clip — for paper
  11. season — of the year
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. season — in sport
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. current — of water
  16. pitch — completely
  17. pound — a weight
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. cue — a signal
  21. clip — a video
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. cue — a hint
  24. prune — to trim

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