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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 116 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: pound · racket · stick · pit · bowl · march · prune · hand

  1. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. pound — a weight
  3. prune — to trim
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. pit — a hole
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. hand — help
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. pound — to hit hard
  12. pit — in a race
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. march — the month
  18. prune — to trim
  19. march — music
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. march — the month
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. hand — in cards

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