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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.

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: prune · game · last · lash · calf · board · racket · pitch

  1. That was a fun ________________.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. pitch — completely
  4. prune — to trim
  5. board — to get on
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. prune — to trim
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. last — finally
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. game — wild animals
  18. board — a committee
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. last — to go on
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. last — final

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