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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.

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: rock · bore · pitch · prune · perch · shower · mark · lean

  1. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. prune — to trim
  3. mark — a grade
  4. lean — to bend
  5. lean — thin
  6. prune — to trim
  7. rock — a stone
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. rock — music
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. shower — rain
  12. shower — to wash
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. bore — to tire
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. mark — a trace
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. perch — the fish
  22. pitch — completely
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. bore — to drill

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