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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: spring · pitch · cabinet · ball · spell · mine · prune · safe

  1. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  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. spell — magic
  2. mine — for digging
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. ball — a great time
  5. prune — to trim
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. spring — a coil
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. spell — a short time
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. spell — letters
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. ball — a dance
  19. spring — the season
  20. spring — of water
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. pitch — completely
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  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