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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.

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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 · dip · stand · content · club · mate · pitch · coach

  1. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. content — happy
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. prune — to trim
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. mate — a partner
  7. pitch — completely
  8. club — for dancing
  9. club — a group
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. stand — to bear
  13. mate — a friend
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. prune — to trim
  16. mate — to breed
  17. content — the amount
  18. club — for golf
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. dip — to sink
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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