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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 120 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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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: pitcher · cabinet · object · march · pop · mate · bat · prune

  1. He is an ace ________________.
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. march — music
  3. mate — to breed
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. march — the month
  6. object — an aim
  7. prune — to trim
  8. bat — for baseball
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. pop — to visit
  11. prune — to trim
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. march — the month
  14. mate — a friend
  15. pop — music
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. bat — the animal
  18. object — a thing
  19. bat — in an idiom
  20. pop — soda
  21. mate — a partner
  22. object — to protest
  23. prune — the fruit
  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