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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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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: pitch · rock · pit · prune · straw · pitcher · hand · hide

  1. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. pit — a hole
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. prune — to trim
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. rock — music
  7. hand — in cards
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. pit — in a race
  15. pitch — completely
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. rock — a stone
  22. hand — help
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  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